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Recommended Reviews

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  • 5.0 star rating
    8/12/2015

    I attended a Bridal Shower here at 11am last Sun morning.  The place was still fairly empty with guests scattered about in all different areas of the restaurant for breakfast/brunch/sangria.  I love the building itself.  There are all these different seating areas and hallways, brick and dark and intimate.  Nice outdoor dining area also.

    The waitstaff was AMAZING.  We had two servers.  One guy welcomed me into the private dining room and was so pleasant and accommodating.  Sangria, coffee and Orange Juice were served.  Both servers were efficient and attentive all through our party from 11-2.  Really great and refreshing.

    Small plates were served.  Starting with argula salad and bacon wrapped figs.  Chicken and sausage skewers and spicy potatoes with the most amazing aioli accompaniments.  Garlic toast with goat cheese in marinara and stuffed mushrooms.  All very tasty and light since you get a very tiny plate of your own to dine from.   I enjoyed it very much.  

    I will be back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/11/2015
    Listed in Chicago Adventures

    We came here on a Sunday for brunch around 11 am. The restaurant was larger than I had expected and there were plenty of empty tables, but these began filling up as we were leaving around noon. Despite its size, it's still quite cozy and has great ambiance.

    I can't speak to the authenticity of the food, but we were definitely impressed, particularly by the sausage-fried paella rice. Still reminiscing about the perfectly charred sausage bits. The poached egg on top makes it acceptable for breakfast, and when mixed in, makes the rice so creamy! We also ordered the pinxtos platter which was gorgeously presented on a wooden paddle, and the buttermilk waffle with marcona almond, nutella and bananas. You can definitely taste the salt in their french toast and waffles, but the sweet syrup balances it out nicely.

    My boyfriend tried their Bloody Mary bar which was a lot of fun! You get to choose from a glass of vodka/bourbon/gin/tequila and add your own juice and add-ins. They have everything from your classic celery stick to bacon strips to cocktail shrimp on skewers. Would recommend if you like Bloody Marys.

    In the middle of our meal, we ordered the buttermilk-fried chicken thighs from their limited dinner menu. This took a few extra minutes to come out compared to the rest of our dishes (which were brought to our table within 10 minutes of ordering). The chicken was good with a tangy sauce that made for a nice contrast, but nothing spectacular. Our waitress apologized several times for the delay, and also brought us complimentary desserts (pear sorbet and caramelized banana). Ended our meal on a sweet note. Needless to say, impressive service!

    I love that you get to try a variety of food without breaking the bank. Everything is very reasonably priced and some of the portions are quite substantial. I can't wait to go back to try their other menus (especially the other paella varieties).

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/10/2015
    1 check-in

    Three years ago, I studied abroad in Madrid and I can't seem to shake off my love of Spanish cuisine. When a friend suggested Cafe Ba ba reeba, I was immediately sold. He promised it tasted authentic and I couldn't wait to try!

    It did not disappoint!! We ordered the croquetas, buratta, garlic potato salad and paella con pollo y verduras. I have absolutely no complaints. It was all so good! The croquetas came with a blend of ham and chicken. They were crispy and delicious! I especially loved the garlic potato salad. It was a simple dish that was packed with garlicky flavor! (tip: you might not want to order this if you're on a first date).

    The paella was perfect! I'm usually picky about whether or not the flavors are right or the rice is quality but this was everything and more. A server brings out the paella in a large pan and mixes it at your table. The portions are then served out and they are huge! You have to order a minimum of two servings but if you're getting tapas as well, the two servings could easily feed more than two people! So delicious!

    Oh and how could I forget about the drinks! We ordered half a pitcher of white sangria between the two of us and it was the perfect refreshing addition to our meal.

    Make sure to check in on yelp to get a free dessert. I was obsessed with the caramel custard. It had the perfect creamy consistency and completely satiated my sweet tooth!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/29/2015
    1 check-in

    I've been wanting to come here for a long time and we finally made it out on Wednesday for happy hour at the bar. They had $3 tapas so we got to try a ton of different things. My favorite was the bacon wrapped dates. It was a combination of sweet and savory but really bold flavored! We also had the ham croquet, chicken empanada, meatballs, and the mushroom toast thingy. They were all small flavorful bites. My bf also had the grilled octopus but was disappointed that it was a bit too salty. We also order the pork paella. It came out really hot and well seasoned.  Overall, ton of food!

    Since we were there, we absolutely had to try the sangria! We had a pitcher of the white peach one, and it was one of the best sangrias I have tried. I also wanted to try another one and the bartender was nice enough to give me samples of them all. So my second favorite was the black raspberry followed by the passion fruit. The plain red was my bfs favorite, it really has that red wine flavor! And the sangria of the day was mango which was a little too sweet for me. I would definitely come back here for just drinks and small bites at the bar.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/30/2015
    1 check-in

    Four stars for food, but their service ups it to five.

    FOOD: Not usually the biggest fan of tapas because I leave hungry, but their portions are huge! For veggies, I liked the spinach & manchengo-stuffed mushrooms. For seafood, I liked the grilled octopus, citrus-cured salmon, and bay scallops empanada. If you really want to be stuffed, get the paella; they claim one order serves two, but the serving size is way bigger. I liked the seafood paella because the bay scallops are so soft and tender; however, my cousins liked the chicken.

    DRINKS: Mango sangria, end of story. There's fruit - it's healthy.

    DESSERT: Pear sorbet. Again, fruit - healthy. SO healthy.

    SERVICE: They accommodated our party of 13 extremely well, even though we stayed past closing. Case in point: They forgot to place one order, but brought it out much later during the meal - on the house. They were also great with us using so many free Yelp dessert check-ins.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/28/2015

    On a recent trip to Chicago my bf and I met up with my cousin's wife for dinner at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. SEVERAL people had recommended it to me, so we were excited to try it!

    The food was stellar. Some of the scrumptious plates we shared included the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce with garlic bread; fried green peppers & course salt (YA'LL THESE WERE SO INEXPLICABLY GOOD); spicy potatoes with tomato aioli; and mushroom, toast, aged roncal cheese & sherry gastrique. The food was truly delightful.

    Also I apologize for my likely misuse of semicolons in my food descriptor sentence. There's no way that sentence is grammatically correct.

    The fun environment and delicious food make for a fantastic dinner!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/3/2015

    Came here for my birthday yesterday and it was beyond perfect. Cafe baba Reba is one of my favorite restaurants so it was obviously a no brainier to take my family here. I worked with Michelle from the event staff to get everything planned. A big thank you to Michelle. She helped me customized a menu of all my favorite things. Hands down my most favorite lettuce entertain you restaurant. Our waiter was great! The management was great! The front hostess not so great (but everything can't be perfect) the menu appealed to everyone bc I included a little bit of everything with the help of Michelle. The food was absolutely delicious, the sangrias were amaze balls (red and mango). I couldn't of hoped for a more perfect birthday dinner.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/27/2015
    1 check-in

    Loved the food and the ambiance.

    Stuffed mushrooms: my only qualms about this dish was the heat--when it got to us, it was somewhat lukewarm, which made me think that these are made in large batches and kept hot rather than made fresh. However, the flavors were fantastic--loved the spinach and breadcrumb filling, and the cheese topped everything off very nicely. Would definitely order again.

    Short ribs: extremely tender and very nicely done.

    Scallop empanadas: my favorite entree of the night. The puff pastry was perfectly rich and flaky, and the scallop filling was light, fragrant, and delicious all around.

    Grilled octopus: lovely pairing with the vinaigrette, but a little to salty for my taste. The cook on the octopus was very nicely done--tender and not too chewy, as is my issue with octopus generally.

    Seafood paella: this was the one dish I would definitely do without. While there was a rather generous dose of scallop and shrimp, I found it way too salty, not to mention I was already pretty full from the other tapas we ordered.

    For dessert, my friend and I got the butterscotch custard and the vanilla bourbon chai ice cream. 10/10 would recommend the ice cream--I loved how the flavors of the bourbon and chai combined. There was a nice balance between the two, allowing the bourbon to dominate but not overpower the chai and vanilla flavors. The ice cream also came with a fig cookie on the side, which I wasn't a huge fan--the ice cream was definitely the star of the dish, and I found the cookie a bit out of place. I also enjoyed the butterscotch custard, which had a very nice, strong butterscotch flavor, but after a while I found it a bit too sweet for me.

    Overall, really enjoyed the tapas as well as the dessert tapas--I love tasting different foods and entrees, and Cafe Babareeba offers a large selection of high quality flavors (if a bit on the heavier side) to choose from.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/25/2015

    This place has a great "feel" to it as far as I'm concerned. it's a lot of fun with a terrific atmosphere in a great neighborhood.  

    The food is average to above average.  I certainly don't think it's worth the hype it receives.  The seafood is alright, not fantastic I wouldn't say it's the best available. They do some sincerely unique things with their food and I do love manchengo cheese, but somehow it all just falls short.  The flavors just don't seem to combine as well as they could.  It's like they're "almost there"  but not quite there.  They use lots of garlic, which is admirable.  I would have just hoped for something a little more unique given the reputation.

    This isn't my best review, more general than normal, but I believe it's nonetheless accurate.

    DEFINITELY worth a visit.  it's a fun place, and a good time.  It is in the ballpark of authentic tapas.  I guess I just had better stuffed dates at Hubbard Inn and of course, Avec, better empanadas at Habana Libre, and better shrimp at the now defunct, "1492".

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/13/2015

    Tapas Extrordionaire!! This restaurant was packed on a Thursday night when my date and I went for the first time. The service was well organized and we were seated for our reservation early and approached by our server immediately. The menu consisted of 50-60 items in true Tapas style.

    There were micro-bites that cost $1 a piece. We started with one of each. They were all delicious. We then started ordering regular tapas. Blue Cheese steak was one of the stand-outs, we ordered some ceviche dish that was great. Honestly all of the tapas were crafted with care and tasted awesome.

    I returned a second time with a larger group and had a 5 star experience yet again. This place is boss. If you're looking for some perfect tapas, look now further

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/11/2015
    1 check-in

    Ba-ba-ba-barbara ann...wait, I mean, Reeba! I LOVE THIS PLACE!

    My party of 5 came here for dinner around 6 PM and the wait for a table was about 45 minutes so we decided to just grab a table at the bar area. The tables at the bar area is first come, first serve and they still offer the entire menu of the restaurant. Shortly after we ordered our food, I got a text saying our table was ready on the restaurant side but we decided not to move.

    We ordered a bunch of food and it all came out very quickly besides the paella, which the waiter did warn us that it would take about 30-40 minutes to cook.

    We also got the peach sangria 1/2 pitcher to split between 4 people and that was more than enough. It was so yummy and not too strong at all.

    Citrus Salmon: It was a spread of salmon with citrusy round thing and you eat it with the bread that's provided. It was interesting and I love salmon so it was a new twist to it.

    Pork Skewer: DELICIOUS, I wished we had more of it. Juicy and very flavorful. It came it two skewers with about 3 cubes of meat on the skewer so it was just enough for each of us.

    Scallop Empanada: My friends and I loved this dish! The filling of the empanada just melts in your mouth.

    Sea Scallops: I personally thought this was a bit too bland for my liking.

    Octopus: LOVED this dish. I thought the octopus was grilled just perfectly and it was deliciously seasoned, not too overpowering in taste.

    Short Ribs: This piece of meat was just heaven, it melts in your mouth and oh so succulent. The mashed potatoes that came with it was one of the best I've ever had!

    Paella: the paella came out right on time, shortly after we finished all the tapas and had a few minutes to digest the food a bit. It is a minimum of two orders and it was just enough to split between five people. I likd the paella but I was a bit full towards the end so I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.

    DESSERTS: Yelp had a super awesome offer of a free dessert w/ check in so we got 3 orders: Flan, apple empanada, and the banana one; our favorite ranked as Banana, apple empanada, flan. But TBH, they were alll very yummy!

    The total bill for the seven orders and sangria came out to roughly $27 a person after tax and tip, which is reasonable (considering we got free desserts!!). It is better to eat with a bigger group so you can try a bit of everything.

    PRO:
    +free parking across the street, if you're lucky
    +they will text you when your table is ready
    +bar area is first come, first serve so snatch an open table if you see one
    +great service, great food, yummy drinks!
    +FREE desserts w/ Yelp check in and they don't limit the amount of free desserts/table so get everyone at your table to check in!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/15/2015

    I've been coming here for many years, and I have yet to order something off the menu that I don't like. This was the first tapas bar I ever tried, and they still have my favorite sangria. A couple pointers:

    1. Their bacon wrapped dates are the bomb. Get them. Trust me, just get them.

    2. Great sangria, you really can't go wrong with any flavor but try their cava sangria or white peach sangria to mix it up.

    3. Try the pintxos platter to get a little bite of everything for a reasonable price - 6 tapas for 11$

    4. Spicy potatoes with tomato alioli, beef skewer with horseradish cream and red onions, serrano ham and garlic potato salad are some of our favorites.

    I have been returning here for 5 years now, it is a tapas staple with consistently good food and service.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/21/2015

    Delicious brunch on the weekends.  Very busy place so try to make reservations, but there are enough tables you just might get a walk-in spot or you can just sit at the bar (and get full food service).

    Citrus french toast best item we had, nice thick toast with a great goat cheese and honey spread.  It also came with some maple syrup but didn't need it.  The meatballs were delicious, and the sauce was great on the free bread.  Paella is large and takes time, but seems to be worth it if you know that's something you like.  Skip the papas bravas, looks tasty but the seasoning and the aioli are both bland.

    And if you have a sweet tooth I recommend visiting Annette's Italian Ice a few blocks west (by the Armitage CTA stop)

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/16/2015
    1 check-in

    I really liked this place! Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has brunch options along with everything else. It's so perfect. I went for their brunch but also ordered a couple of dinner options. I ordered the hash (amazing with the egg and oozing yolk on top!), scallops (this was okay), beef short rib (really tender), pork belly kabob (pretty good), and the octopus (this was my favorite). I also ordered their sangria and a chocolate tart cake with vanilla ice cream. Service was also very good!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/23/2015
    2 check-ins

    Tapas for brunch is a great breakaway from the traditional, and it's a very fun and group-friendly choice! I've only been for brunch and the wait isn't bad. On a Saturday, it meant around 45 minutes, and that's plenty of time to get a head start on their sangrias on tap. Brunch comes with its own tapas menu, though you can order from the standard menu. Prices are reasonable for the tapas size and quantity. Flavors are fantastic and varied. There were only a few items I wouldn't get again, like the baby shrimps and grits.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/10/2015
    1 check-in

    Our second trip here and we were not disappointed. Samantha our waitress was awesome and she gave our daughter a fantastic dessert plate....This place is cozy well designed and I beg someone who is In the rest biz on long island NY open one of these up Pleeeez.....

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/25/2015
    1 check-in

    So I've travelled to Spain.. Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid Sevilla & this by far blows foods in those countries out of the water. Seriously. Everything was extremely flavorful & delicious. Best Spanish placed I've eaten so far & surpasses Cafe Iberico.

    I highly recommend the seafood paella. I had seafood paella in Valencia (where paella originated) & this restaurant surpasses Valencia's 110%. I loved the garlic potatoes, octopus, spicy shrimp tapas. (Sorry I can't be more specific) Everything on the menu is great honestly. You can't go wrong.

    Definitely get the pitcher of Mango Sangria. You don't taste the alcohol & it has just the right amount of apples & lemons to deliver a delicious balanced taste.

    In addition, service was great. The waitress accidentally gave away our octopus to the table behind us and she immediately reordered & took it off the bill for us.

    Definitely a great place to go for a celebration/client lunch outing/fancy - casual dinner!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/1/2015

    This place used to get an F and was full of Schaumburg a few years ago, but I think they upgraded their chef. Lots of good stuff: steak skewers great, shaved Brussels sprout salad, and very nice octopus dish moves this place up to a 4. Calamari is standard but aioli is good. Chicken thigh bites are avg. Cocktail list is copy cat and the drinks are only ok, but sangria is good. Worth revisiting if you gave up like us a few years ago!

  • 2.0 star rating
    6/12/2015
    1 check-in

    Back in the mid to late 2000s, I used to come here and spend a lot of money on not a lot of food (although delicious).  Fast forward almost 10 years, and nothing has changed.  The plates are so small and light, you need to handle them with delicate hands.  If you've got the shakes, your food will go flying off your plate.  You've been warned!

    Go to Cafe Iberico for larger portions.  Dishes are a notch below Ba Ba Reeba's regarding authenticity and taste, but you will get more value!  Or try Black Bull, although it's a smaller restaurant with a slightly more avant garde take on common Spanish dishes.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/15/2015

    The wait on a weekend night is loooonng, but well worth it.

    We arrived around 7pm on a Saturday night and were told 45 minutes. No big, we hung out by the bar and had a couple of tasty cocktails. By the time our table was ready, I was nice and happy.

    Robust, intriguing menu with all kinds of tapas AND a gluten free version! We got:

    -Scallops
    -Beef kabob
    -Chicken curry salad
    -Burrata salad
    -Short rib w/ mashed potato
    -Chocolate flourless cake

    Everything was excellent, but my favs were the chicken curry salad and the short rib (and the cake, obvs).

    Server was attentive and knowledgeable, complimentary basket o' bread was warm and delicious, and the lighting made everyone look hotter.

    Will definitely return!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/15/2015
    1 check-in

    Super sweet brunch spot in Chi-town!  Best to go with a group of 4+ that way you can try all the delicious noms!  I don't recall every dish we tried but here were the highlights:

    -Deviled Eggs and jamon serrano - our favorite of the Pintxos items! The filling was super smooth and flavorful and the crispy jamon made this over-the-top; we ordered a second round of deviled eggs because they're THAT good.
    -Iberico Ham Hash: I shamelessly have a serious love for canned corned beef hash and this dish is the luxe, pimped up version of a childhood favorite.  The poached egg soaks into all the crispy bits of ham and potato and oh my word that HAM.  Iberico Jamon is generally regarded as the best ham in the world so yeah, it's DECADENT.
    -Baked Eggs with Romescu Sauce: definitely one of the more unique (and beautiful!) egg dishes I've had which is served with a red pepper sauce from Catalonia. Hearty and healthy!
    -Citrus French Toast with goat cheese butter: a slightly lightened up version of traditional French toast and it's a great balance of sweet, tangy, and zesty

    Don't forget to wash everything down with a pitcher of their sangria!

    This place is perfect for groups and people of all ages, there was even a brunch wedding reception taking place when we were there!  So yes, be sure to roll in with a large entourage.  The more, the merrier at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/19/2015
    1 check-in

    My all time favorite tapas place in Chicago.

    I love the outdoor seating in the summer and the coziness in the winter. The servers are friendly and always have suggestions if you're stumped on what to get.

    My favorite tapas are...  
    The patatas bravas are delicious! The aioli that is served with the potatoes is very tasty.

    The bacon wrapped dates so delicious! I wish there we're more on the plate.

    The beef short ribs with mashed potatoes are so good but come in such a small portion it can't be shared. Well, maybe others can share them.

    The champiñones (stuffed mushrooms) are stuffed with manchengo cheese and overall deliciousness in a mini cup.

    The goat cheese is devine; a perfect mixture of tartness and sweetness.

    The croquetas and the empanadas are served with two delicious aiolis. We usually try the cheese and chicken varieties.  

    The sangria tho.... It's so good. If they have the mango sangria get it. While the red and white sangria are great staples the specialty sangria are executed perfectly.

    Dessert: all of them! But really, that butterscotch shot is so creamy and delicious I want some right now.

    Love this place so much I had my wedding shower here.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/2/2015

    Went for brunch this morning and got the Citrus French toast and the big portion of the palatas bravas. they were amazing ! Wish there was a little more of the goat cheese butter and honey but I'd order this again and the potatoes too! The potatoes are the perfect amount of crispy and seasoned and whatever the sauce is that they put with it-mayonnaise based and a little spicy? I'm not sure but we almost ordered a third order because of how delicious it was. I've been for dinner too but that was a year ago and I can't even remember what I got but it was quite tasty that I came back willingly! They are good about splitting checks too.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/4/2015
    1 check-in

    Came here because of the raving reviews. However the food was lackluster.

    We ordered the octopus, but it came out burnt. The service was good in that the server came out with another plate right away, but the second plate was still semi-burnt. We also tried the seafood paella. It was good, but not the best I've had. The rice was soft and crunch at the same time, but I wish we had more seafood and more flavoring.

    Tip: check in and get the free dessert. The banana dessert was definitely the highlight of the meal.

    Overall good service and good dessert, but the food overall was uninspiring.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/13/2015
    1 check-in

    Best bruschetta EVER!!! The chunks of garlic and tomato were awesome and I loved that it was not crunchy cracker bread, it was soft and delicious. Had the skirt steak, was really yummy. The owner came around and poured tequila into our mouths which was really fun. Outdoor seating is nice

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/24/2015

    Best tapas in Chicago. This place has great service, nice atmosphere, and the food is great. Wide variety of dishes, which are all flavorful and great. I would suggest the Paella - it takes 30-40 min, so order some tapas meanwhile; it's worth the wait.

    Great place to take friends from out of town.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/26/2015
    1 check-in

    Tapas, galore!! I needed 30 minutes to try and choose what I wanted to order and even then had a hard time narrowing it down. We had a party of 6 with each person ordering 2-3 dishes so a TON of food. I got to try most of it and everything (besides the empanada I ordered- blah) I tasted was absolutely delicious and unlike any other food I have ever had. I especially loved the deviled eggs, stuffed mushrooms and garlic shrimp. Loved the diversity and uniqueness of  this place.

    We sat on the very cute patio and our service sucked. It took TWO hours for lunch and we just wanted to get out of there so bad by the time we were finished but our waitress wasn't going to let that happen. She had the personality of a wet mop and couldn't manage to get any of our checks right.The manager stood by the computer for about 20 minutes trying to help her ( she still got it wrong when she brought the checks out) and neither one of them approached our table to apologize or explain the confusion. She couldn't even muster up a "sorry it took so long, have a nice day" by the end of it all. NOTHING. Very poor service and management.

    I still wanted to give 4 stars for everything else aside from service and would definitely give it another shot and hope for a better overall experience.

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/13/2015

    We had the worst waitress ever! She gave such a nasty attitude. I'm not sure why?! The food is great as always. But she made our experience the worst. We kept wondering what's wrong! She gave us a poker face without any feedback when we ask about things. Maybe she had a bad day, but should we go through this?

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/21/2015
    1 check-in

    My wife and I ate at Ba Ba Reeba before attending a concert at "The Riv" (aka stinky shit hole).  We have eaten at BABAReeba before, but we were really rushed and I wasn't addicted to Yelp at the time, so this is my first review...

    We ate at like 4 PM, so the place was empty.  We sat by the windows in the bar and it was cold as hell.  The server was the bartender and he was kinda meh, and was gone for significant swatches of time.  So whatever, it was between shifts so I figured we would get B- service, no big deal.

    We ordered several items from the tapas menu.  They were all great.  I would rate Baba as my third favorite tapas resaurants behind Meson Sabika (#1) and Bien Trucha (#2).  

    We had a pleasant experience and it was the beginning of a great weekend!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/22/2015
    1 check-in

    Always a fan of this place when I have a group of people who need a good, reasonably priced place to eat. Most of my friends enjoy the idea of small plates and trying a bunch of different foods, so this is perfect.

    Sangria is always good, I stick with the traditional red sangria which seems to be drier in comparison to the others (although still sweet).

    Service is always good, food is great, very accommodating for larger groups!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/9/2015
    2 check-ins

    Cafe Ba-ba-reeba is a crowd pleaser hot spot, great for large groups! The Spanish tapas and flavorful sangrias made for a perfect girls night out/birthday dinner. We did have some issues with reservations and having to wait for a table to clear out for our party of 10 on a Thursday night, but the staff was apologetic and gave us a free bottle of sangria.

    Our waiter was helpful in suggesting how many dishes to order and how much sangria. We got three bottles of sangria and I was a HUGE fan of the blood orange and blackberry - all about the fruit ones! As for the food, we all ordered a couple of dishes and we're just blown away by how tasty everything was. Garlic shrimp, spinach and manchego stuffed mushrooms, scallops and spicy potatoes were my top favorites.

    We showed the waiter our Yelp checkin for the free dessert tapa and because it was my roommate's birthday, he actually brought out a whole platter of all the desserts with a candle and a sweet message. So perfect!! The desserts were to die for - esp the pumpkin ice cream sandwich and butterscotch custard. Man, oh man!

    Overall, a fun tapas restaurant with delicious food and lively ambiance. I'll definitely be back again for sangria and to try the paella!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/24/2015
    1 check-in

    I loved this place!  We have only had the opportunity to hit two Spanish style tapas places in Chi-town, so this review is based on my experience at these places, as well as my recent ones in Spain.

    Everything that we had here was pretty darn good.  The service was excellent as well.  I can recommend the following: Deviled egg, Chorizo wrapped medjool date, Catalan bread, Patatas bravas, sea salted green peppers, calamari, Tortilla espanola,  
    Shrimp with garlic olive oil, Roast dates with bacon and apple, the Albondigas, Skewered chicken and chorizo sausage and red sangria. We were skeptical about how good (or bad) this place would be after a failed tapas experience on Friday night somewhere else.  We were more than delighted here!

    I would highly recommend this place!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/10/2015

    Oh how I miss this restaurant! The best thing about this restaurant is the size of menu that comes with a wide flavor palette. I personally do not care for their empanadas, but everything else is amazing.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/11/2015
    1 check-in

    So good!!

    We went for my best friends birthday dinner and I nearly exploded, we ordered so much.

    First, get the BLOOD ORANGE SANGRIA. You will kick yourself if you don't. So sweet. The best part is the alcohol-y fruit.

    The tapas were really great and authentic. Totally brought me back to Spain! Loved the cheeses and meats. The paella was rather good and not too heavy.  We ordered about one plate per person at the table plus an order of the chicken paella, and it was far more than enough--almost too much.

    Overall, it was a bit expensive but worth the money. The extra few bucks were definitely made up for with the quality.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/27/2015

    This place is pretty cool if you like tapas style food.  This place is definitely lively and energetic for certain. Our waiter was very kind, patient and informative.  

    There was a group of us and so we went around the table and ordered chicken, spicy potatoes, a little salad, drinks and some dessert after wards and the taste was good.  It's definitely a new experience for me since I've never been to a tapas place before.  

    The highlight for me was the spicy potatoes. Very good and had a very unique taste to them and highly recommend them.

    Parking the night we went was very tough, but I got lucky and finally found a spot after looking for 45 minutes.  Definitely leave early if you're gonna try make your reservations on time.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/12/2015

    Quick Summary
    ---
    Delicious tapas at a great price with consistently some of the best service I've experienced in any restaurant. As with any popular Chicago spot, reservations are highly recommended, as walk-in wait time can be long, but once sat, service is incredibly fast. Highly recommended: #44 (shrimp with garlic), #67 (bacon wrapped dates), seafood paella, and any flavor of sangria.

    Intro
    ---
    This has become my favorite restaurant in Chicago, and my 5-star rating isn't a case of severe fanboyism, but is a distinction well-earned through repeated visits. I've been to Spain and loved the food there, so I was very excited to try. The first time I went was with a couple friends, and I was very impressed with the quality of food, drinks, and service. It's not the most authentic Spanish cuisine, but the inspiration and heart is there.

    Setting
    ---
    Very warm and cozy. However, the restaurant is huge and there's so much activity going on around it can be loud and hectic. Added bonus: hanging Iberican hams for that authentic Spanish touch!

    Service
    ---
    Despite the craziness of all that's going on during a busy night, my table has never been neglected or forgotten. Food comes out in blazing fast times after ordering. The bussers are attentive in clearing your dishes and refilling your drinks. Everyone seems happy to serve you.

    Food
    ---
    There are so many different tapas, I will highlight the ones I've particularly enjoyed.

    Roast dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette: Bacon wrapped dates has been overdone to oblivion but the apple vinaigrette is a nice complement that sets it apart. Second-best bacon wrapped dates I've had (sorry Ba-Ba-Reeba, but the honor of #1 goes to Avec!)

    Seafood paella: Has a generous amount of shrimp, scallops, and monkfish. I despise green beans but I don't even care that they're in this dish, it's absolutely delicious. The rice has the perfect consistency.

    Burrata with tomatoes, charred sweet corn, and avocado: A great marriage between all the different ingredients. The char on the corn brings an appreciated depth to the dish, and the cheese is very fresh. Vibrant and light!

    Shrimp with garlic: They are unapologetic with the garlic. A blast of flavor will spread over your entire palette as you meditate on the texture of the perfectly cooked shrimp. Dip your bread in the leftover oil. It is liquid gold.

    Caramelized banana: I can inhale ten orders of these if I wanted to. All desserts here are delicious but this one in particular is fantastic. Great toasty flavor from the caramel while never overpowering the banana. Texture contrast provided by pistachios. Temperature contrast provided by the ice cream. A delight to the senses.

    Sangria: I hate sangria. I love Ba-Ba-Reeba's sangria. Five great permanent flavors with a rotating seasonal flavor. Do yourself a favor and get a pitcher... for yourself.

    Other notes
    ---
    What? They have a brunch you say? Admittedly I have not gone there for brunch service. I will have to make the effort to try it out. Check out their rewards program. Though Lettuce Entertain You does require money up front, you receive credit through your first several visits to make up for it.

    Conclusion
    ---
    I applaud the staff at Ba-Ba-Reeba, both front-of-house and back-of-house. It is a well-tuned machine that operates efficiently amidst all the chaos. Great service, great food, great memories. If you haven't tried Spanish food, Ba-Ba-Reeba is a great place to go. Have guests coming into Chicago? Hot date? Casual night out? Whatever the occasion, Ba-Ba-Reeba is sure to please.

    Grade
    ---
    (1* - never come back, 2* - poor, 3* - good, 4* - excellent, 5* - perfect)
    Ba-Ba-Reeba gets a 5*. Way to go!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/25/2015
    1 check-in

    Immediate reaction after eating: stopped in at 2pm on a Sat, busy but we (party of 2) was seated immediately. I really wanted a paella and though the menu was half brunch and did not list the regular paella, had no problem ordering the chicken paella. Also we got the octopus, spicy potatoes and the buttermilk chicken. the tender octopus and the buttermilk chicken....whoa whoa!!! I started closing my eyes while eating those, the dishes were off the chain, I could have passed on the potatoes but they were great with the sauce...the paella came and was hot and the chicken was tender, too much Lima beans but that is just me....we also did a check in and got the free dessert and we picked flan from the dessert list. Nice small tapas size of flan perfect for 2 people to share, I am glad it didn't taste lipgloss cause flan sometimes can do that. We also had the passion fruit sangria and it was solid but not something I will likely remember..if you want good sangria go to nandos

    Eat the octopus and buttermilk chicken, get the paella to fill up and take home. Service is professional and attentive and not overly friendly which is actually how I like it , glad I went and I ate it all and am taking paella home.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/20/2015

    We let the server pick our dishes and they were pretty amazing.

    -scallops
    -chicken/ham/cheese fried stick things
    - caprese dish
    - stuffed mushrooms
    - beef something
    - buffalo chicken pieces

    I'm a generally unimpressed food-spoiled-I've-eaten-better/everywhere person and this was a great meal. Refreshing that they don't slack despite their popularity.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/1/2015
    1 check-in

    Umm. This is tapas heaven.

    If my stomach could live up to the challenge, I would totally order everything and eat it all but it can't and that makes me utterly depressed.

    I walked in one evening with a friend and was kind of digging pretty much everything about the place.

    We ordered the brussels sprout salad, spicy potatoes with tomato aioli, garlic potato salad, the short run with manchego mashed potatoes, citrus cured salmon, grilled iberico pork shoulder, and the paella valenciana. I also got the mango sangria which I loved since it didn't have a strong wine taste to it.

    We loved both the potato tapas because well, starches are freaking delicious- loved the crispness of the spicy potatoes. The short rib was cooked beautifully tender and the paella had plenty of meat in it.

    Service was excellent as well. Our waiter came by plenty of times to check up on us. They also served up the paella which was different for me.

    I plan to return when I'm back in Chicago. Mmmmm

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/18/2015
    3 check-ins

    Here's some of the things I had during my recent trip to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba:

    1. Passion Fruit Sangria was nice, fruity, refreshing. Everything a sangria should be.

    2. Roast Dates with Bacon and Apple Vinaigrette. Still my favorite dish here. Vinaigrette is not overpowering at all. Delicious!

    3. Fried potatoes had a nice kick to it. It could have been a little more crispy or fried. But the tomato aioli paired nicely with it.

    4. Rioja-Braised Short Ribs - Pretty tender but pretty bland. Could have done without this dish.

    5. Deviled Egg Pintxos - Incredibly salty.

    6. Paella Valenciana was a tad too 'al dente' for me. It's unfortunate that if you're here on a date and want to try this, you must get a minimum of 2 servings. Two servings is enough for about 4-5 people, and with all those tapas to order, well you do the math. I was so stuffed I never wanted to eat again.

    7. Butterscotch - My usual go-to-dessert from here, which is topped with salted caramel (hella salty, bleh) and a dollop of whipped cream. The butterscotch itself was pretty delicious.

    Overall, this experience fell very short of the previous times I visited. Maybe it was an off night but it was enough to de-throne them from my 'Favorite Restaurants in Chicago' list. Bummer.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    7/7/2015
    1 check-in

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! has become a tradition during our Chicago visits. Nashville doesn't have tapas and I need to get my fix. One thing I really love about Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is the consistency- our favorites remain our favorites and just how we remember them. The menu changes pretty regularly and we try to order a few new things as well as our standards. The sangria is always good but you can't beat Mondays with 1/2 prices cocktails!

    Our favorites:
    -Goat Cheese baked in tomato sauce- served with crusty bread
    -Burrata with heirloom tomato and charred sweet corn- what summertime dreams are made of.
    -Brussel sprout salad- shaved sprouts, toasted nuts, cheese. Fresh and delicious!
    -the short rib dish (prep varies, but always delicious)
    -calamari fritti-- super light and crispy batter
    -The Chocolate Truffle Cake dessert and the Butterscotch pot de creme are dreamy.

    The atmosphere is great- sit on the patio with the retractable roof if you can!

    This place won't revolutionize your tapas world, but it's a great and dependable restaurant for a tasty spanish-influenced dinner with friends or family!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/28/2015

    I called Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba less than a week in advance to reserve a good-sized surprise birthday party (10-12 people) for my girlfriend. They were flexible on timing, and asked if I was celebrating a special occasion. When I mentioned that it was my girlfriend's birthday, they asked her name and said that her dessert would be comped. Great customer service!

    When we arrived, the staff was friendly and reasonably attentive, the ambiance was warm and inviting, the prices were fair and the food was delicious. Despite the hundreds of great restaurants in Chicago we've yet to try, my girlfriend has already suggested coming back here, and I have to agree!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/25/2015

    This is my favorite tapas place. We come here every year for our work holiday party and are never disappointed. I've been to other tapas restaurants that seem to favor quantity over quality of food. I consider the food here to be gourmet tapas that is a cut above many of the other places I've tried.

    My absolute favorite dishes are the braised short ribs, paella valenciana, and chicken curry salad. I also enjoy the serrano ham & cheese platter, spinach & manchengo stuffed mushrooms, goat cheese in tomato sauce, and seafood paella.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/8/2015
    1 check-in

    Babareeba is my favorite Tapas restaurant. The food here is always consistently delicious and the staff is awesome.

    My first experience with Baba was in 2000. Wow! So long ago and I've been coming back ever since. I've tried some of the other popular Chicago Tapas restaurants such as Emilio's and Iberico and they don't compare in terms of taste, ambiance or even service. Not to mention that Babareeba has an awesome happy hour every day that is a steal.

    I'll surely be back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/25/2014

    For $20, you can enjoy dinner of 2 selections that can be complimentary or a complete dish in itself.  Effort in balance and value for $$.  ALL dishes were prepared well and seasoned.  Common menu.

    DEVILED EGG ($2) -- One gulp.  One egg.  Painfully addictive and delicious.  Firm.

    GOAT CHEESE IN TOMATO  ($8) -- shareable by 2-4...unless you love goat cheese that much.

    FRIED GREEN PEPPERS ($6) -- a good complimentary side dish.  There is a Japanese version of this at Goat you know who.  *wink* I finally got lucky with one green hot pepper.  The red pepper is both sweet and hot.

    SHORT RIB ($12) -- a complete meal.  Girl portion.  Good.  Nothing exemplary.  Filling. Content.

    PORK BELLY & PORK LOIN ($8) -- skip it.  Pork belly was good and moist.  Pork loin did have flavor but was too dry for my taste.

    SANGRIA -- very clean taste where the booze can still creep up on you.  Taste like water.  :-)

    COAT CHECK -- complimentary.  Yay!  There are still some things for free.  A part of excellent service.

    VENUE -- dark and romantic.  Space is tight but somehow I didn't mine it.  Unusual.  High table and short chair that is comfortable for 6'2" but weird for shorties.  The lighting...everyone looks fantabulous.

    SERVICE -- Great!  No time for chumminess but you are ever neglected or forgotten.  They automatically brown bag for you.  All staff says 'thank you' when you leave.  And, you can't sneak out the brown box without a brown bag.

    How I wish I can order Paella for one.  I look forward to enjoying and sampling the rest of the dishes.  Brunch Lunch and Dinner.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/3/2015
    1 check-in

    This is for sue my favorite place for dinner tapas in the city. The sangria is on point and favorite dishes include- goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, spicy potatoes with tomato aioli, flank steak, seared lamb loin, meatballs, roasted dates, and shrimp with garlic.

    I just went for brunch lately; it's a great option in the city as it offers breakfast tacos which is unique. Recommendations- spinach and artichoke crepe, and the shirt rib slider. The paella was a bit odd as a breakfast dish. The bites were also a lot of fun so I would definitely do one of those a person.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/7/2014

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is a favorite of my wife's and we try to go whenever we're visiting Chicago.  That being said, it's probably been nearly 4 years since we were here last.  The restaurant has definitely stood the test of time.  

    The Goat Cheese, Patatas Bravas and bacon wrapped dates are a consistent hit and the Deviled Egg pintxos, though new to us, were a great addition, too.

    I had the Jack, Mike and Ginger and my wife went with a classic margarita, both were quite tasty.  

    We aren't often in Chicago these days, but I'm sure we will keep visiting Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba whenever we're in town.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/4/2015

    Parking is a bit hard unless you valet but the tapas are great and the sangria is strong. Had a whole damn pitcher by myself! Little on the pricey side though.

  • 1.0 star rating
    4/1/2015
    1 check-in

    They stuck us in a dark, cold corner in the back of the restaurant "because the front isn't open right now."  When we all commented on how cold it was, the hostess offered to "turn the heat on."  ON??  You didn't even have the heat ON??  The high that day was 34 DEGREES, LADY.

    Dishes were overpriced and generally unmemorable.  The goat cheese in tomato sauce that everyone raves about?  Well, if you've ever had warm goat cheese on a pizza, it's exactly like that (except without the crust, and for quadruple the price per volume).  Pitchers of sangria were at least 60% ice by volume.  One star for the bread and olive oil, although really, give us enough for the whole table.  They finally got the memo on that after the third time we asked.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/7/2015
    1 check-in

    Went here for drinks on Sunday afternoon and the place was relatively busy. CHECK IN and you get a free desert tapa.

    We sat at the bar. I really enjoyed my glass of wine, my friend ordered a cava but got cava sangria which the one bartender on point, Nico, fixed quickly! There were limited draft options. We also had the vanilla chai bourbon desert tapa which had tasty ice cream but the fig cookie was subpar. Ordered a double shot espresso got a single by accident then they brought out an adtl double for free. Some of the other bartenders seemed loss and over staffed since we were checked over every 3 mins.

    I think the reputation of this place as an authentic Spanish tapas bar is very strong so it was disappointing to find the atmosphere more corporate and bland.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/12/2015
    1 check-in

    We finally got a chance to visit this place after having it bookmarked for almost 6months...
    Have to say totally worth the visit, beautiful ambience with skylights, great menu (also avail GF) and superb food!!
    Highly recommend: Bloody Mary (make your own Bloody Mary bar with great garnishes)
    Tapas- shrimp, fried calamari, chicken skewers, short ribs.. And caramel bar for desserts :)

    Enjoy!!!!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/30/2015
    Listed in Can I Have a Bite?

    ¡Caramba! Glad we chose Cafe Ba-Ba-Ree-Ba! for brunch today while in the city.

    While it looks deceptively small from the outside, you'll find that the space goes back...and back...and back some more, and then to the side into another big dining room. In a city where it can be hard to find a seat for brunch, they welcomed us with open arms at prime brunch time: no wait, yay!

    This is a tapas place, so as long as you don't mind sharing you can choose a bunch of things and have a taste of each. It works well with two diners; not quite sure how it goes for tables of eight (such as the noisy one that arrived halfway through our meal.)

    At brunch time you can choose from the Brunch or Lunch menus, but there so many tempting things among the Brunch options that we just held fast. As two people with inquisitive appetites, we ordered bits of this and that and it was pretty uniformly great.

    In (roughly) order of fave to least fave:

    - Let me start by mentioning the bread at the beginning of the meal: crusty, toasted and served with butter and marmalade. Starting the meal with this assured good things in the future...but don't fill up too much because there's more to come!!

    - Citrus French Toast with Goat cheese butter and honey. This was a wonderful amalgam of flavors: sweet citrus against the tang of the goat cheese, all smoothed over with a drizzle of honey. Delicious!!

    - Bacon-wrapped dates. This is a tapas classic, and it's not hard to see why. These tiny morsels combine the best qualities of smoky and sweet.

    - My dining partner got the mini Cubano, which he adored; I had a bit of the meat, but pork just isn't my favorite thing.

    - Waffle-battered Chicken Stick. This is seemingly a chicken sausage stick; some sort of sausage at least was encased by the sweet batter. Sounded like it was going to be a version of chicken and waffles; ended up being more of a Spanish corn dog.

    - The traditional Spanish rice dish paella was spicy with chorizo and studded with veggies. I avoided the poached egg, so he got to enjoy its combo of fluffy white and oozing yolk himself.

    - Spinach and artichoke crepe. This was spinach-heavy but also filled with mushrooms and cheese. Yum.

    - Bacon mac and cheese. Thin but delicious cheesy sauce, with strips of crisp bacon on top. Tasty though paled compared to other things.

    - Surprisingly, the thing I liked least was a dish I usually love: shrimp and grits. Their spin used chorizo-flavored polenta in place of the grits (I should mention that this menu is loaded with chorizo in general, so if you don't care for sausage your options are somewhat limited.) The shrimp were what is described as "Spanish baby ghost shrimp," which turned out to be half-inch-long minnow-looking things. The tiny pinpoint black eyes on each is clearly visible, which disturbed me somewhat. Tasted okay, but would not order again.

    Daniel, our server, was friendly, explained things well, and checked up on us so we could order more. Also a shout-out to the tireless bussers who whisked away the tiny used plates with speed and refilled water frequently but unobtrusively.

    The restaurant is moody with dark wood, but the bathrooms were weird: industrial stainless steel with almost no light in the stalls!

    Overall though, this was a thoroughly enjoyable meal. ¡Arriba! Let's go again!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/6/2015
    1 check-in

    I am a fan of tapas, and it being both Easter and my cousin's birthday, I thought it would be fun, so I decided on Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for our family brunch.

    We had a reservation and were seated promptly in the back room (where I worried that we may be neglected), but it was no problem. Our waiter and the bus boys were very attentive, and the pace was good. The only thing we had to ask for constantly was water, because the glasses were so small and a few people in our party were only having water. For larger parties where this is the case, leaving a pitcher of water on the table would be best. (Or at least larger glasses!)

    My husband and my mom enjoyed the bloody mary bar ($10 for just one trip), while I tried the special sangria which was blood orange and just OK. ($8).

    We enjoyed: the spinach and manchego stuffed mushrooms (yummy!), brussel sprout salad (both crunchy and flavorful), beef tenderloin and blue cheese (a definite hit!!), chicken skewer, shrimp in olive oil and garlic, beef benedict, and the seared sea scallops. My daughter loved the chicken empanada, and I was the only one at the table who liked the potato and onion omelet. Of the above listed, the beef tenderloin was definitely a family favorite. We ordered two of those ($11 each), and they were cooked perfectly with the right amount of pink, juicy and tender. My husband is a former chef so he can be hard to please, but he was impressed by the presentation and the demi glazes and other sauces that accompanied the dishes. Most everything was flavorful and appealing to the pallet.

    Missing the mark were the scallop empanada (the scallops were buried in all the bread, while the seared scallops were much better), and the grilled flank steak, which was tough. The fingerling potatoes that came with it were good, although that was $9 wasted for such a small, disappointing dish. My cousin also ordered the citrus cured salmon, and was disappointed because it was flattened and thin like paper. Thinner than even smoked salmon usually is, and I think he was expecting a filet, even if it was a tapas-sized one. Yet for our first try, this was not bad.

    My husband ordered the veal special and while he was skeptical, it was very tender and cooked to perfection. Our only concern was that it was $17. That's pricey for a small tapas portion!

    There was another group seated behind us, and one of the servers gave us their deviled egg by mistake. We ate it before we realized, and we actually would have ordered more if we weren't so overwhelmed by everything else that we had. It was good!

    I liked the dessert menu and the fact that those are all $3 each. We got one free dessert for checking in on Yelp, and we ordered another one to sing Happy Birthday to my cousin. We ended up getting that one taken off the bill as well, which was nice. I wanted to try one of their coffees, but decided to wait until next time.

    We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and I'm only deducting one star for a few dishes and some of the priciness. Since it's all tapas, people are going to order a lot anyway, so prices for each item should be reasonable. Our bill was $190 before tip for 5 of us. Now that we know what we like, future trips can be planned a bit better. I see a date night with hubby in our future.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/30/2015
    1 check-in

    This place was simply amazing for a weekend brunch. Start by mixing your own Bloody Mary to your liking. They have all the fixings you could possibly want in your drink. Add a beer back for $1. Order a pitcher of sangria to share with some friends. The tapas were all so good. My favorite was the grilled octopus. I never knew octopus could be so soft to the point that it melts in your mouth. The fried calamari were great. Bacon wrapped dates give you something salty and something sweet. Lamb kabob was tasty. Top everything off with some dessert. I very much enjoyed my flan. You can't go wrong with brunch here. Just know that you'll have to wait to get seated but you can always grab a seat at the bar first-come first-served.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/21/2015
    1 check-in

    Came here for a bday dinner and we ordered a bunch of stuff: octopus, squid, croquettas, braised beef, lamb, beef tenderloin, potatas bravas and some other stuff I cant remember. All that tried was decent but nothing standout, and everyone else felt the same. On the plus side, I like the ambiance, its fun for a group event, and street parking is usually available.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/18/2015

    Can you say bacon wrapped dates? I mean it's so good. The sangria is always a crowd pleaser. Try the peach.
    It's tapas, it's yummy, it's always crowded. The service is on par. The lay out of the tables is annoying but the beef tenderloin makes up for any annoyances.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/8/2015

    Everything is excellent. Literally everything! I eat here monthly, and have NEVER left disappointed.

    The food is fantastic; I highly recommend the bacon wrapped dates. I always end up getting two orders, because they're just TOO good.
    *One thing to keep in mind though--it is a *sharing* experience. They are small plates so that they can be nibbled upon by each party member. The only buzzkill I've ever experienced were my own dinner guests trying to bogart their order and fuss over the bill =)

    The sangria. OH my goodness the sangria! The passion fruit sangria is my favorite. The real fruit marinating in booze the whole time is such a great palate cleanser (and kicker).

    The service is similarly wonderful; every hostess/waiter/waitress/busser that I have spoken to (keep in mind, I frequent this place monthly) was very pleasant and had a smile ready--even in the worst of the dinner rushes. I have even been offered free desserts a couple times because the staff recognizes me from previous outings, and wanted to "pay me back" for my patronage. How cool are these guys?!

    Prices are very fair. I always expect to pay much more than I do, probably because I leave so satisfied, that I feel compelled to give them ALL of my money...

    I cannot adequately express how much I love this restaurant! Please, do yourself a favor and make a reservation immediately.

  • 1.0 star rating
    12/10/2014
    2 check-ins

    This review is for their catering / party event coordinating. I went to their website and registered for someone to call me to schedule an event for a corporate Christmas party. This was two weeks ago and till this day no one has contacted me. I left both a landline number and a cell phone number.

    Whoever is in charge of their events planning is not doing their job. So if you're looking to plan an event and go to their website to register for someone to call you, no one will. That was my experience.

    As far as the food it is pretty good. Again this rating and review is for their event coordinator and not for in dining.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/11/2015

    I'm not usually a fan of tapas but this restaurant changed my mind. Thank goodness for opentable.com reservations esp on a Saturday night. We came at 630 PM and they were packed so we waited at the bar for our 730 PM reservation.  Red sangria kept us company and the bar tender even gave us a sample of the sangria del dia.

    Right at 730 PM we got a text that our table was ready and the food just kept coming right after we ordered.

    Patatas bravas are hot and crispy on the outside but tender on the inside, aioli is perfect (not spicy for my taste.). Goat cheese in tomato sauce is served with buttered toast. Complimentary bread is sliced fresh with a soft inside and crisp crust. Pan con tomate is crisp bread with the perfect amount of tomato but could've used more garlic in my opinion. Shrimp (gambas al ajillo) in olive oil and garlic with red pepper flakes was my favorite. Dip your bread in it!  Seafood paella was just ok but nice that they sub chicken for monkfish. Rioja short rib was delish. Would NOT rec tortilla espanola, although it came out piping hot it was like a round hash brown that was soggy? Calamari was usual.

    Butterscotch custard was perfect with caramel sauce, a perfect sweet and salty.

    Ambiance was def lively and celebratory (lots of bday celebrations).

    Daniel is the BEST waiter ever!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/4/2015
    1 check-in
    Listed in Chicago

    I might be a little biased because I love the tapas concept, but Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba made me soooo happy. My friends had highly recommended it, so I knew it would be good, but it was better than good.

      My friends suggested we share the Sangria, which was surprisingly refreshing and not too sweet. After that, it's hard to know exactly happened. A parade of delicious hit our table, starting with chorizo dates and ending with a sampling of 4 of their desserts. I would like to say what my favorite dishes were(grilled squid? brussels sprouts?), but honestly each plate was as good as the one before it, and it is impossible to pick a favorite. All I can say is go, and decide for yourself. Bring a big group and a big appetite, you're in for a treat!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/17/2015

    LOVE Cafe Babareeba! Between the food, atmosphere, and sangria, it is simply amazing!! Have been there about 5 times and will definitely be back for more.

    The spicy potatoes, salmon, and white peach sangria are all MUSTS.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/1/2015 Updated review
    4 check-ins

    Great service,yet again. Took the bro & sis in law here - they've never had tapas!! Had the mango sangria, Ham hash, spicy potatoes, Cuban sandwich, short rib slider, goat cheese in tomato sauce, braised short rib, French toast, seafood paella,fried  dark chicken thighs, pork belly skewer, & a bloody Mary. Everything was phenomena!

    5.0 star rating
    10/4/2014 Previous review
    Food was great, service was great, casual yet trendy atmosphere. Great for everyone - families,… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    8/5/2015

    Went here for my birthday with my parents. One of the best tapas restaurants ive been to! The blackberry sangria is amazing. All of the food here is really high quality. This place is HUGE on the inside. You should always split the seafood paella when you come here, the monkfish makes it! Nearly everything is great here excluding the curry chicken salad. It tastes like the same grocery store packaged salad. Very bland tasting. All in all the food and atmosphere here is great though!

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/5/2015
    1 check-in

    Just like the poster before, we came here due to the great reviews. We were really hungry after walking around lincoln park zoo. The staff were nice and very accomodating. However, the food was disappointing in both taste and quantity for the price.
    We started with sangrias: too much ice, but the flavor was pleasing.
    Short rib was well cooked and soft, but had a weird taste to it. Mashed potatoes on the side tasted like they were made from powder and not from scratch.
    3 small to medium scallops for $13...do i need to say more?
    Garlic shrimp were fresh and tasty. This was about $10 for 6 medium shrimps.
    We also ordered streak with blue cheese and potato chips on the side, which was just ok, a little too dry for my taste.
    Overall, don't come here if you are hungry. We left the table starving after paying $80. Never again! There are better tapas places in town if you are craving that. But if you just looking to hang out with a large group of people have some drinks then this is the place for you!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/6/2015

    LOVE this place! It is very a fun and festive place to eat with a small group of people because the food is tapas style.

    If you like(love) sangria, this place is a must. I recommend getting a pitcher because it is reasonably priced around $20 and pours about 6/7 glasses. The menu is pretty big so if you are adventurous with food, you should order a variety of plates and try as many as you can because I think everything is good. In particular, I love the calamari with aiolli sauce and the warm goat cheese with marinara sauce.

    The restaurant has a semi-outdoor patio, which is very pleasant so I recommend trying to get a table in that part. If not, inside is good, too!

    I ate here with three people -- we ordered a pitcher of sangria and three tapas. Feeling comfortably full and a little tipsy, we were more than happy to see the bill was approximately $16 per person. Great deal if you ask me!

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/11/2015

    ehhh.... it's ok. I like the bloody mary bar and small plates are fun, but I don't ever think to myself "oooo let's go there!" Good place if you're in the area though!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/31/2015

    Food is fantastic. So is the service. Brought a date, it was very crowded, but we were seated right away. Lovely atmosphere.

    Get the sangria. Made in house I believe. Delicious. Go here.

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/26/2015
    2 check-ins

    I've been to Ba-Ba-Reeba three times now and definitely see it as having distinct hit-and-miss dishes, with more misses in recent visits. Luckily the hits outnumber the misses, 3.5 stars.

    The grilled iberico bellota has to be one of the best pork dishes I've ever had. Although the portion is small, the acorn-fed iberico pork is unlike any other pork I've had, and is the most memorable dish I've tried. The bacon-wrapped date pintxo also knocks it out of the park.

    Other hits include the paella valenciana, patatas bravas, grilled octopus, beef tenderloin, chorizo-stuffed dates.

    Was not impressed by the seafood paella (lacked the delicious crust), rioja-braised short rib, scallops, or marcona almond bar. Nothing egregious, just found them lacking in flavor compared to other dishes I've tried here.

    Great place to come with a group!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/6/2015

    Food is always delicious .  this is my favorite Mexican tapas restaurant in Chicago.  The menu has a wide variety of tapas which include great vegetarian options for friends.  Me and my friends have been here for more than one occasions. .  the peach sangria pitcher is a great option with smooth and crisp peach flavor and fruits that are soaking in the sangria which are enjoying to eat.  The fish tapa was delicious with nice interior flaking an crispiness on the outside.  The Bacon wrapped dates seem to be a classic and have a unique taste to it with the crispy Bacon and sweet date flavor and makes a great combo.  The empanadas are delicious as well.  The service is always great.  A great option for a dinner date as you can share many plates for a reasonable and affordable price as well, and too it off with the sangria.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/2/2015

    Great place for tapas! We got the waffle with nutella and bananas along with the spicy potatoes from their brunch menu which was great! I also got the mozzarella and tomatoe/corn/avacado tapa from their regular vegetarian menu, this was okay, tasted like a caprese salad but it wasnt anything special! My husband had the chicken thighs which were really good! But he thought the steak was ok, wouldnt re-order it! Good place to check out!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/26/2015
    2 check-ins

    Tapas galore! Café Ba-Ba-Reeba is as fun as the name sounds; with its festive Spanish décor, flamenco music, and flavorful foods. I went here for a much needed girls' night the other weekend and it was a great experience. We got a pitcher of red sangria (naturally) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I also tried a taster of the pear sangria which would be perfect as a refreshing summer drink.

    For food, I think few tapas places rival Café Ba-Ba-Reeba in terms of the variety. At other tapas places I feel like there is too much of an emphasis on heavy meat and cheese laden dishes but not so at Café Ba-Ba-Reeba. There are tapas for everyone, whether you're vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free, etc, you will be able to find something on their menu. That being said, we tried a bit of everything: spicy potatoes, short rib, sautéed vegetables, smoked salmon, and more. My favorite by far was the smoke salmon- it was so light and bursting with flavor. Our server was great and very helpful when making menu suggestions. She explained that the menu at Café Ba-Ba-Reeba changes often, but the smoked salmon always stays on, and now I know why!

    I would highly recommend Café Ba-Ba-Reeba as a restaurant to go to for pretty much any occasion; you'll enjoy the food and the friendly atmosphere as well.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/8/2015

    This place is phenomenal. However,  it is an absolute must that you get reservations before going. The last time we went we did not make reservations, and we ended up waiting an hour and forty five minutes for a table (but that should tell you it's worth it).

    The black raspberry sangria is absolutely delicious. The atmosphere is very fun and lively. I love the interior lighting, and although it can get very loud, the candlelit tables and awesome music make the experience enjoyable.

    The food is excellent. We have attempted to try as much as possible, and would order about 3 to 4 tapas a person. This would always leave me completely stuffed. Do not skip dessert! The desserts are just as good as the tapas, if not better.

    The rundown:

    Definites:
    - Spicy potatoes with tomato aioli. I can't get enough of this one. My favorite dish.
    - Beef tenderloin and blue cheese. Very tasty.
    - Chicken and ham croquetas. These almost taste like street food or something from a fair. Very, very good but also a bit heavy.
    - Dark chocolate crema with orange marmalade. This dessert is fantastic, but it is only a few bites.
    - Butterscotch custard with salted caramel sauce. WOW. This one is delicious. So, so good.

    Skip:
    -Manchego stuffed mushrooms. Very bland and generic, almost like they come frozen. I've had way better.
    -Meatballs with sherry sauce. These were good, but there are much better items on the menu that are way more interesting. I would say this is a "safe" item that everyone will like, but won't be blown away by.

    If you are visiting Chicago or already live here, you can't miss Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. I can't wait to go again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/1/2015
    2 check-ins

    I lurvvv you. To prove my feelings for you, I've brought every visitor I've had here AND have introduced coworkers to you. Going to a subpar overpriced tapas place in San Francisco just made me appreciate you that much more.

    The prices here are very reasonable. A pitcher of sangria was under $25. They weren't very strong but they were still delicious and filled with fruit.

    Portions are very reasonable. Before you know it, you're completely stuffed. I've tried a number of items on their menu. My three must haves here are the brussel sprout salad, tortilla espanola, and paella. The paella is huge and two servings was definitely more than enough for five of us. Unless the paella is your entree and you have no desire to try anything else on their menu, I would use 2-3 people per serving of paella as a guide.

    Food is flavored very well, cooked well, and came out hot. The spicy garlic shrimp was truly garlicky. I don't normally like squid but even that was delicious. It wasn't gummy or tough. It was tender and while I still don't like squid, I would try it again.

    If you need further proof of how truly stellar this restaurant is, it won over my 70 year aunt and 60 year old mom, who both gravitates towards Asian food. Not only did they love cafe ba-ba-reeba, this place trumped ALL restaurants that I had brought them to during their trip here. They even ranked this above the three Asian-inspired places that I thought would rock their world.

    Two weeks after my visit here, I brought my mom to a tapas place in San Francisco. She could not stop comparing it against Cafe ba-ba-reeba, which is now her gold star standard!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/16/2015

    Hands down, one of my favorite place in the city! There's not much to say that hasn't already been said: Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is amazing and there's plenty on the menu for everyone.  As many of other people have already said, the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce is incredible and I get it every single time.  The stuffed mushrooms are also to die for. I usually get one or two of the seafood options, and have have never been disappointed.  One word of caution: the spicy scale can vary quite a bit...some things labeled as spicy don't have much heat, while other will leaving you pounding your sangria down too fast. (Side note: get the sangria...all the sangria!)

    While the ambiance is wonderful (especially the sun room) this place works much better for groups than for dates. Whenever I go with just 1-2 other people the bill is always pretty steep but it's never bad when there's a big group. I had my birthday here this past year, and the service was wonderful, even when it came to taking a bunch of different credit cards. Call to make reservations on open table at least a few days before hand for weekdays, and give even more notice on the weekends.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/14/2015
    4 check-ins

    This review is long overdue.

    Ba Ba reeba - in a word. LOVE. I kid you not, my go to spot in Chicago and my favorite.

    Things to get:

    *Classic white sangria
    *Goat Cheese and Tomato
    *Paella (any variety)

    Thank you for being. Service is always excellent. Brunch here rocks too! Love the ambiance. NAILING IT.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/29/2015
    1 check-in

    I made reservations while visiting a close friend. The decor is so cozy and nice. The food is good. I can see myself returning the next time I'm in town.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/27/2015
    1 check-in

    Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!
    We were in town and met some friends here, been craving a good tapas place and we will be back every time we come to Chicago! We had so many things and every single thing we ordered was delicious! I don't think you can go wrong with any item on the menu!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/2/2015

    Food is really good but I picked off a start because it's a bit over crowded and noisy. It's a great place for groups, we saw a ton of bachelorette parties. Ordered 7 items because we couldn't decide, it was a little too much food but everything was delicious. Great service too.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/19/2014
    1 check-in

    This is a tapas style place so you get to try a lot of things.. and we did try a lot of things.. and everything is sooo delicious. The absolute best dish on the menu is the braised short ribs. I would not share this dish with anyone ;).

    You can make your own bloody mary's which is perfect for a weekend brunch/lunch. Do not miss this place!

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/2/2015
    2 check-ins

    Rating this place 3 stars is pretty tragic.

    I have been coming here for years and never wrote a review. The last couple of years this place has been hands down 5 stars! I would tell all my friends that this is my favorite restaurant in Chicago. Everything was absolutely delicious! However....I came here tonight and was shocked that the place was half empty! In the past I would have had to make a reservation weeks in advance! Tonight I made the reservation  2 hours before for a 7pm dinner.

    So.. Not sure if the head chef was on vacation but my favorite dishes just tasted differently. The spicy potatoes were good! That was the only dish that didn't change. I was disappointed with the bread that came along with the goat cheese & tomato sauce. The croquetas had no flavor! The flank steak was blah. Lastly the Caramelized banana was ok.

    I really hope I came on an off night! I will return hoping that this place goes back to the 5 star restaurant I know it is!

    Service is always exceptional!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    6/16/2015 Updated review
    1 check-in

    This is by far the best tapas restaurant in the Chicago area. We had the garlic potato salad, ham and chicken croquetas, seared Spanish sausages, chicken empanada, and to top it off mini ice cream sandwiches(pumpkin ice cream filled). I'm giving this place a 5/5 because the service, food, and drinks were on point. Will be returning as soon as possible.

    5.0 star rating
    1/18/2015 Previous review
    This is by far the best tapas restaurant in the Chicago area. We garlic potato salad, ham and… Read more
  • 1.0 star rating
    5/15/2015

    Listen up Ba-Ba - it's time for a refresh.  You need to get your host, your waitstaff, and your kitchen to step it up.  Have been coming here for YEARS.....but an obvious decline in the quality overall has me cautiously reconsidering.   Also, the place really needs a good makeover and deep clean.  Save yourselves before it's too late.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/11/2015

    I went to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! with a fun group of 14 people.  But I can't rate a restaurant based on the fact that my family is pretty darn awesome.  Sorry, CBBR.

    Our waiter was friendly and patient with our large group.  But one there are a few things I've learned from doing tapas with large groups:  Someone needs to take charge of the group, or everyone needs to chose 1-2 dishes, AND there mustn't be any picky eaters in the group.  CBBR is good for groups, even large groups, but without some guidelines and willingness to try different foods, there will be chaos.

    I'll detail what we ate and drank, but here's a spoiler alert:  I think CBBR is just okay, and I'm not likely to return.

    The Passion Fruit Sangria was good, but the Raspberry Sangria was pretty bad.  Once you mix vodka into wine, I don't think you can really call it sangria anymore.  I would've liked the fruit flavor to come from a fruit puree, or a schnapps/liquor before a flavored vodka.

    The complimentary bread and olive oil was a great way to satisfy our grumbling tummies as we waited for food.  If you are ordering paella, understand that it takes about 45 minutes and you must order it right away!

    But should you?  Eh, the paella was okay, and I've had better.  We had the seafood as well as the pork paella.  Both had great flavor, but the meat portion was skimpy, resulting in very disappointing dishes.

    My favorite tapa of the evening was the Cured Salmon.  Salmon, capers, cream, and pickled cucumbers - yum!  I also really liked the spicy potatoes.

    The bacon wrapped dates and baked goat cheese were also very good, but these are pretty much like "Tapas 101," and I can't act like those two dishes make CBBR stand apart from any other tapas restaurant.

    The stuffed mushrooms were bland, flavorless, and hardly what I'd call "stuffed."  The octopus was horrible - it was burnt.  I spit it into a napkin!

    The desserts are so cute and perfect for only $3 - you get a few bites without overstuffing yourself.  I had the dark chocolate crema which was like a thick pudding.

    The set-up of the restaurant could be better.  Parking in the area isn't impossible.  We arrived shortly after 4:30 on a Saturday and got a spot on Halsted ($2/hour with a 3 hr max).  Otherwise, valet is available for $13.

    Inside the restaurant, tables are too close together, probably so they can pack 'em in whenever possible.  The chairs were uncomfortable - I don't think I've EVER said that about a restaurant.  There was nowhere to put my purse, and since it is winter and the floors were wet and muddy, I didn't want to put my purse on the floor.  I tried to stick my purse between two chairs in a dry spot, but the waiter kicked my purse every time he came to the table.

    I'd recommend reservations.  By the time we left around 7:00 p.m., it was a full house.  It is a little bit noisy in here, but I was able to hear my dining companions up to 3-4 seats down the table without shouting.  

    Each couple ended up spending about $35/person after several paellas, tapas, and sangria.  I can't say I was impressed.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/25/2015
    1 check-in

    Years ago my soon to be wife told me that I had to try this place out. Seven years later, We finally made it here and it was worth the wait.

    Everything was amazing that we tried. We were able to pick the selections to our liking and the menu was put together very well so i was able to know if I was going to like something right away from reading the menu as I was unfamiliar with the menu or the cuisine. It has been over 15 years since I have been to a Tapas place.

    A special shout out and kudos to the peach sangria - You were delicious and complimented my food well.

    A special shout out to our server who ROCKED by the way! She was very helpfu in offering her recommendations. As I was completely unfamiliar with anything there. She was very helpful friendly and efficient.

    Who wants to join me there for dinner some night???

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/3/2015
    2 check-ins

    Wow. This was a great recommendation and I am glad I tried it! It's a tapas place with delicious small plates with enough on it to share. Everything we ordered was amazing. The place was packed with the brunch crowd.

    We went ahead and ordered couple of dishes from their brunch menu and some from their dinner menu. We ordered their home-baked french toast that came with blueberries and baked apple slices, and an order of their eggs Benedict with cubed hash from the brunch menu, and then the shrimp served in garlic, olive oil, their highly-raved meatballs, and finally ending it with beef tenderloin with blue cheese plated with chips. Everything came out in a timely manner and one after the other and every single one of the dishes was perfectly seasoned and cooked. I was tempted to try their Bloody Mary because they have a Bloody Mary bar, but I wasn't brave enough to create my own. Maybe next time I'll give it a shot.

    All in all, it was great start to a year, and the service started and ended with a smile and politeness.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/18/2015
    1 check-in

    This was a great spot for brunch with friends! Because their menu is tapas, we were able to order many small plates and sample lots of different food. The food was good, the service was good, and I liked the atmosphere and neighborhood of this place. We also enjoyed a pitcher of their sangria. A great, fun place for groups.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/13/2015

    I've been to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba a handful of times now and I always leave happy. It's one of the few tapas places that actually serves Spanish tapas. Seems the whole food industry is moving towards small plates but not serving Spanish tapas - just charging more for less food.

    Pretty much every time I go to CBBR, I start with the same two dishes. Dates wrapped in bacon and tomato sauce with goat cheese. Yes, I admit, both dishes are incredibly simple, but both are delicious and staples of tapas food. The dates and bacon are heavenly. The goat cheese and tomato sauce is fine, not the best, but i think it's just one of those you have to try.

    Then I'll move onto some of the meat dishes. There are plenty and I've tried a great many, but I'll mention a couple. Specifically the rioja-braised short rib, skewered chicken and chorizo, and any of the squid. The skewered chicken and chorizo is especially good because that chorizo as absolutely top notch and it's only in a couple dishes.

    This most recent time we also tried the Paella. Wow, definitely getting it again. Order it the moment you sit down because it'll take a while to come out, but man, it's absolutely superb. I'm allergic to shellfish so we got the one with roasted pork, sausage, and pork belly. So much delicious flavor, cooked perfectly.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/13/2015
    1 check-in

    This was an AMAZING dining experience. Recently moving to Chicago, this is definitely my new go-to tapas and drinks spot. Absolutely love the atmosphere, very upbeat and the service is friendly and attentive. Was here with friends, we tried tons of apps, not one we didn't love. Also had a house margarita and couple pitchers of different sangrias. Thank you for an amazing night!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/9/2015

    Food, service, atmosphere Amazing! I'll be back for sure. Sit on the patio and order brunch.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/28/2015

    We went here for an early dinner after visiting Warby Parker. It was really busy for late afternoon meal, but we did get seated and did not have to wait. We did not have reservations, so I was glad we ended upon getting a table.

    We ordered a combination of different tapas which included: galacian empanada of bay scallops, chicken & ham croquetas, and the rioja braised short rib. They were all excellent. The service was great as well. The server was very attentive. We weren't starving otherwise, we would have also ordered the Paella for dinner. We did order a few deserts though as we were not completely full yet.

    The deserts were as good as the tapas and were delicious. I don't think you can go wrong with whatever one you end up choosing. Everything we ordered was really excellent. I would definitely come back here when in the Lincoln Park area.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/9/2015
    1 check-in

    Can't say enough good things about this place! Sangria, potatoes, goat cheese in tomato sauce, bacon wrapped dates, the garlic shrimp, brunch and bloody marys! Great place for large groups, when friends and/or family are visiting and you want to show off Chicago's food scene or date spot.

    Service is always wonderful with the servers offering plenty of recommendations. AND if you check in on Yelp, you get a free tapa sized dessert!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/9/2015

    We've been twice and it's my fault, been a few months and forgot to do a review. This time I didn't forget because one of the managers was so sweet and gracious - I believe her name was Jessica. There was confusion with the reso my husband made, not sure where the blame lies, but regardless, Jessica took care of our party of four. Not to mention it was madhouse busy. The food was excellent, starting with several appetizers. We made sure to order the seafood paella, but before that came, we made sure to get a pitcher of sangria at the table before it arrived. Really delicious combination! Service was attentive and courteous. Loud? You bet, but it's a fun sort of loud. If Jessica is there, she'll see you're done right.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/4/2015

    Few words to describe this madly mouthgasmic paradise of delights, so I shall say only one to summarise: SCRUMPTULESCENT.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/9/2015

    The food is absolutely amazing! Ive been there twice with friends and since it is a tapas style restaurant, we shared everything. The cava sangria is also so delicious! The waiter is so knowledgable and the food tastes just like if we were dining in Spain.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/27/2014
    1 check-in

    I can't say enough about this place!  I was tasked with planning a dinner for a large group staying in Chicago for a few days, and found this place through Yelp and other sources.  I was in touch with the restaurant about 2 weeks before our trip to Chicago.  They responded to my reservation request within hours, then assisted me with reserving a table even though I adjusted the number of guests and the time of the reservation in the next couple of days.  

    On the day of our dinner, we definitely misjudged the time it would take to get to the restaurant and ended up about 20 minutes late.  I called from the cab to let them know we were on our way, and again, they were super accommodating and friendly.

    On to the meal - they have three different sangria recipes, plus a sangria of the day.  We ordered the sangria of the day - which was mango - and it was delicious!  And a good value for the cost.  

    But the food...OMG!  I don't think we had a single item that we didn't love!  Shrimp, pork, lamb, olives, shredded brussels sprouts, chorizo, jamon iberico, and I could go on and on!  A couple on the other side of the table ordered the paella, and thankfully sent a sample to our side of the table, and it was delicious as well!  There wasn't a single menu item that we didn't love, and we actually re-ordered a few of the items because they were so delicious!!  

    We ordered five different desserts to pass around the table - they are all on the smaller side, in line with tapas-style dining, and we had fun taking a bite and passing each one along around the table.  

    Our server, Allison, was amazing and very accommodating for a large group.  She explained the restaurant policies regarding bill splitting up front and allowed us to split the table in two to make it easier to settle up when the meal was over.  

    The restaurant itself is cute and classy with the perfect ambience.  Food arrives quickly thanks to a crew of friendly food runners.  

    I received endless compliments from our group of 15 for a job well done in selecting such a great restaurant for our group.  I would highly recommend this restaurant for anyone that would care to listen to me, and I would definitely return should I be lucky enough to travel to Chicago again in the future!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/8/2015

    Vegetarian recommendations:

    - Spinach and manchego-stuffed mushrooms
    - Burrata with arugula, basil, and mint
    - Brussels sprouts salad with Marcona almonds and manchego cheese

    Food was delicious. A bit pricey though but the serving sizes were fair. 2-3 tapas per person is more than enough.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/18/2014
    2 check-ins

    I came here for an early dinner on Sunday and loved it so much!  It's a great tapas restaurant with great decor, great service and also... amazing tapas.  Also, you can "unlock" a free dessert if you check-in via yelp, and I'm can't complain about that! :)

    Here's what we ordered between four people:
    (#'s are as indicated in the menu)

      #01: chorizo-wrapped medjool date & cheese ($2)
      #32: goat cheese baked in tomato sauce ($8)
      #52: handmade beef empanada ($6)
      #60: chicken curry salad ($6)
       Paella: seafood paella ($15/serving)
              =with shrimp, bay scallops, monkfish & green beans
      1/2 pint of mango sangria (their seasonal special)
      1/2 pint of passionfruit sangria
      Dessert tapas: coconut flan ($3, but free via check-in in Yelp)

    The items listed in red are the popular items.  My favorite was the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, and it's served on freshly toasted, crusty garlic bread, where you can spread the baked tomato sauce & rich goat cheese.  It's a lovely combination, unexpected to me at first, but surprisingly good.  I like cheese, I like bread, and I love a good tomato sauce so this tapas was my absolute favorite!  Everytime I come back here I'd order it again, and again...

    Their prices are very reasonable, especially when you share across a table of friends.  Their flan is, my goodness, five stars.  It was so rich and creamy (kind of like a creme brulee without the crusty caramel layer).  I ordered an espresso, to complete an already lovely dinner and linger over the conversation some more.  I definitely recommend this place and I'd come back for sure.  When it's warm there is outdoor seating and a portion of their indoor space has skylight windows on the ceiling, with tons of sunlight pouring in.

    They are great with groups and it's a fun, lively place with a great vibe.  There are mirrored walls, wooden decor and mason jar candles on the tables.  Our server was 110% kind and although we had to crank our heads a few times when it got busy to try to catch her attention, I can see how people really love this place.  It's hard not to!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/15/2015
    1 check-in

    I've had my eye on this place for a while and I'm so glad I finally went. We ordered about 11 different tapas for 5 of us total which was just right.

    We really enjoyed the spicy potatoes, shrimp, goat cheese, hanger steak, fried calamari, and beef skewers. For dessert we ordered chocolate truffle cake and caramelized banana.

    The only thing we didn't like were the fried green peppers.

    Also be sure to check in on Yelp and get a free dessert tapas! :) It will be very small though so you may want to think twice about splitting one..

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/17/2014
    1 check-in
    Listed in Brunch, Seafood

    Don't forget to check in on Yelp for your free dessert tapa!
    There is a special place in my heart for Cafe BabaReeba. Anyone can find a dish they like even the pickiest of eaters. It is good for a brunch with your friends, a first or 50th date, dinner with your parents and/or rehearsal dinner with the whole crew.

    They serve tapas or if you're looking for a full plate, Paella. I normally avoid tapas dishes because I always seem to be still hungry after but Babareeba tapas are always delicious and filling while not breaking the bank.

    Favorites: Brussel sprouts salad, spicy potatoes with the best aioli around, excellent calamari (never too chewy), any empanada!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/26/2015

    Cute Mediterranean tapas spot.  It's huge inside but was still very crowded at 5 pm on a Saturday.  We enjoyed a pitcher of white sangria (okay) and a few different dishes, which were mostly great.  The beef skewers were too tough/stringy but the scallops wrapped in prosciutto were tangy and flavorful and some type of goat cheese tomato spread was amazing.  My favorite dishes were the bacon wrapped dates and the papas bravas--spicy potatoes with some addictive sauce.  We also got the Brussels sprouts salad which was definitely decent.  I wish we'd spaced our order a bit different since by the time the dates and potatoes came out I was nearing capacity.  I also would stick to red sangria--but definitely a good spot for tapas!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/15/2015

    My favorite restaurant in Chicago! Must order the goat cheese with marinara and a pitcher of sangria. One glass is never enough. ;) Don't have reservations? No worries!!! There is open seating at the bar and plenty of options for your gluten-free friends.

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/10/2015

    Nothing stood out to me here.  I like that the menu highlights most popular items so we tried the burrata, grilled steak with chimichurri, and bacon wrapped dates, along with a few other items and a pitcher of sangria that was heavy on ice.  Both the food and drinks were mediocre.  The place was freezing, so we politely told our server who had the air turned down, but moments later it was back in full force and if you looked around everyone in the room started putting their coats on.   I think restaurant staff should be more receptive of things like that.  Overall just an ok experience.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/17/2015
    1 check-in

    Went here for brunch on a sunny day. Service was good. Tried a variety of plates and we enjoyed most of everything. The sangia was really good. We got a bunch of dirty plates though, but it was taken care of by the waitress. Good variety to choose from.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/30/2014

    I came here on a Saturday afternoon for brunch with my family.
    We made reservations through open table on Yelp so there was no wait time and
    the restaurant was not crowded at all (there were many empty tables)

    Environment:
    -It was right after thanksgiving but they already put many christmas decorations up and it was cozy and warm (4/5)

    Service:
    - The waitress was very informative and friendly (5/5)

    Food:
    - Rioja-Braised Short Rib, Manchego Mashed Potatoes, Charred Spring Onions & Rioja Wine Glaze (3/5)
    - Grilled Octopus With Fresno Chili Vinaigrette, Fiery Tomato Sauce, Watercress & Pippara Peppers (2.5/5)
    - Shrimp With Garlic, Olive Oil, Red Pepper Flakes (5/5)
    - Scallop Empanada (2/5)
    - Devil's egg ( 2/5)
    - Waffle with caramel and banana (3.5/5)
    - mac & cheese with bacon (3/5)
    - salad ( 4/5)
    - bite size chicken sausage waffle (3/5)
    - peach sangria (3/5)
    - complimentary toast with orange peel jam and butter (4/5)

    This place was just okay for me and if I visit Chicago again I would want to try other tapas places before coming back here.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/18/2015 Updated review
    5 check-ins

    Recommend signing up for their text alerts if you are a regular. This morning, I got a fantastic jamon serrano eggs benedict- for free!

    4.0 star rating
    2/18/2015 Previous review
    This place is great with a group. Very reasonable prices, especially spread over people, and the… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    11/6/2014

    This review is for a pre-planned dinner for my friend's bachelorette party.  

    I have nothing but great things to say about the Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba staff - from the planning and responsiveness ahead of time to the service the actual day of - they really put my mind at ease when coordinating a party of 15 or so people.  I had a ton of questions beforehand and their event team answered each and every one of them within hours from when I sent them an email.

    I was able to select my menu ahead of time and let them know our time constraints so that we could make sure to make it to a show right after dinner.  They even printed out  nice menus that were placed on the table to let the guests know what they would be having.  

    Absolutely everything was delicious!  We had a perfect mix of hot and cold dishes that were perfectly timed so that we were never left waiting for the next course, but we didn't have too many dishes on the table all at once.

    If you're planning an event or a dinner with a larger number of people, I would highly recommend booking it with Cafe Ba Ba Reeba!

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/25/2015
    1 check-in

    Look Mommy! Pig legs hanging from the ceiling! Just like in Spain!

    This used to be my favourite restaurant--it reminded me of Spain. I even had my bachelor's party at the (doomed) Las Vegas outpost because I liked it so much, even after moving across the country. I've eaten here with my parents, friends, and colleagues over the past 25 years.

    The last time I was here my daughter was 4 months old, this time she was 4.5 and I was able to take my son and husband (who has heard about the place for over a decade).  The original menu changed 11 years ago. Rice balls were added, the fantastic gazpacho and seafood ceviche, gone. Gabino's hand-laid brick patio has been gone awhile too, as are the terra cotta sangria pitchers and cheap goblets.  It's certainly more chic now, which I'm sure appeals to the local Trixies.

    The vibe is different. It's not just because I'm old and there's progress, it's now, well, kind of blah & mainstream. The service remains top notch--fast refills, friendly, on it.  It's a well oiled machine that just works, but why were the kids given hummus & carrots? I'd expect chickpeas, but hummus? They loved the bread and oil, but hummus? In Madrid & Barcelona they weren't served hummus. I also question why the bacon wrapped dates were deliberately made soggy with the citrus vinaigrette--just put them on a plate. Stab an apple with the toothpick, if you like, but never, EVER make bacon soggy. That's just not fair to the pig.

    The beef was perfect, as expected. The octopus tasted like fish sauce. I remember trying a Spanish restaurant in NYC which marinated its pork in fish sauce, and didn't get it then. I'm not offended by nuoc mam, but seriously, what is it doing in my Spanish meal? My 2 year old, however, loved the Vietnamese infused octopus, and ate most of it.

    Sadly, my favourite dish was the lamb with mint sauce and ratatouille. Greek & French, but absolutely delicious. The shrimp skewers and mushroom bruschetta were also quite good. Toasted bread w/tomato caviar, cheese, and jamon were as expected. My husband loved the fried banana dessert & the kids loved the chocolate mousse. Sangria is still great.

    I am, however, glad they haven't changed things so much as to serve tortilla chips.

    My standards for Spanish restaurants remains high because I love Spain--it's where I stopped being a vegetarian because everything smelled so good that I just HAD to eat it. All of it. We spent a week there last year, will be returning this year. Sadly, I don't expect to return to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba on my next visit to Chicago. Maybe it was having the two managers stare and point at my table during what was supposed to be our relaxing final night in Chicago, or maybe it was the food, which is more pan-Mediterranean than Spanish. Hummus?  The servers, bussers, and rest of the staff remain friendly & efficient--you will not have to worry about not having your water glass refilled or having too much food served at the wrong time instead of in stages. Allergies are taken seriously.

    The food is good and the service spectacular, it's just no longer Spanish.

    $125 before tip

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/24/2015

    Just discovered tapas and this place was amazing!

    Start of worn the Bloody Mary bar then move on top small plate heaven. Tasty and we all very to share all the treasures this place has to offer.

    Go to this place!

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/12/2015

    Depends on the day you go. The Sangria is pretty good but the tapas options seem lacking lately compared to a few years ago. Take advantage if you get a check-in coupon ever, extra potatoes are worth it!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/14/2014
    1 check-in
    Listed in Party Time!

    I've been here twice - once a while back for a friend's birthday and once recently for dinner before heading to the movies and loved it both times! My friend said a friend of hers isn't a fan of Ba-Ba-Reeba because the tapas aren't authentic, but I say screw authenticity when the food is just so darn tasty! It's a really long wait to get a table without a reservation on the weekend, so I recommend making one in advance or sitting at the bar if your party is small.

    DRINKS
    Their sangria is so fruity and delicious! I've had their white peach one and the passion fruit and while both were good, I would recommend the white peach. Each glass comes with a ton of fruit and the sangria is super refreshing and not too sweet.

    FOOD
    My favorite dishes were their seafood ones, specifically the shrimp with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes and the seared sea scallops with leeks, torched oranges, and jamon serrano. The sauce that the shrimp comes in is SO DELICIOUS. Be sure to ask for extra bread, so you can soak up every last drop! The scallops were equally just as delicious and I loved the surprising addition of the torched oranges with all the other components. However, I was really disappointed with the grilled flank steak dish, which was a little dry and tough. Will be sticking to their seafood dishes, which I thought were much better.

    DESSERT
    If you check in on Yelp, you get a free dessert tapa per person! My friend and I shared the mini ice cream sandwiches and the butterscotch custard and it was the perfect way to end the meal. Each dish was small as expected, but very satisfying. My favorite was the ice cream sandwiches because they had housemade pumpkin ice cream in the middle, which made the little fall-loving girl in me squeal with delight!

    Overall, Ba-Ba-Reeba is a great place for small or big groups if you're looking for a fun atmosphere with delicious drinks and many dishes to share! I've also heard that their brunch is bomb, so will also be checking that out in the near future.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/4/2014
    1 check-in

    I came here on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. Reservations are a must, and the food was delicious. Tapas style allows you to share with the table and the variety is outstanding.

    We ordered a TON of vegetarian friendly options: season market vegetable hash, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, spicy potatoes with tomato alioli, My friends ordered some of the meat options and loved them. We ended up ordering another goat cheese platter because it was that good.

    We definitely got a fair share of dessert as well: caramelized banana, dark chocolate crema, butterscotch custard, marcona almond-caramel bar, mini ice cream sandwiches. My favorite was ice cream sandwiches with ginger snap cookie with pumpkin spice ice cream.

    The waiter was excellent and timely; he also gave us a few free desserts in addition to the ones we ordered at the end...let's just say we didn't eat for the rest of the day.

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/9/2015

    Food was very inconsistent and not to say potatoes came with every dish instead of enough food to share.  Prices are very high.  I'm use to tapas in Spain where it's $3 not $12.  Would never come back here.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/16/2015
    1 check-in

    I have been here numerous times; it is once of my favorite places in the city and I'm surprised I haven't written a review already. In general I love this place so I gave it 4 stars, but my experience this weekend was not the best.

    I made reservations over a month ago for 7pm on Saturday. We were 4 people and 1 friend got there right at 7 (traffic due to St. Pattys and all that). They told her once 1/2 the party was there they would sit her. Great. Around 7:05, another friend arrived. My friend went back to the hostess and let her know and was then told the table wasn't ready and that they would text her when it was. I arrived at this point, as did our 4th person so we waited for a bit. At 7:30, I went up to the stand and asked about our table. I gave my name and was then asked if I was on the wait list because they didn't see my reservation. Now, I called earlier in the week to confirm and my friend checked in and they gave her no problem so I am not sure what happened. I said no, we had a reservation. The hostesses started talking and I think what happened was that it seemed like they skipped right over us. She did apologize and said she would get us seated as soon as she could. Finally around 7:45, the host sat us. He also apologized for the mix up but at this point we had waited 45 minutes past our reservation and were starving.

    Our server was very good at first, but then we saw her less and less. She only came over if she was bringing us food. We had a lot of plates that needed to be cleared away and the table was getting very crowded. My other complaint is that we were seated at a table in the back near the bathrooms but in the corner next to some sort of door and my chair kept pushing up against the stair/ledge near it and it was very annoying.

    The food was great as usual. Bacon wrapped dates, smoked salmon, spicy potato salad and the goat cheese are my go-tos and all tasted wonderful. I also had the blood orange sangria which was very good.

    I know I will be back, but I will have to try to come back during the week when it is hopefully less busy and people are more attentive.

    Also, we did the Yelp check in for the free dessert but we ended up being too full to eat it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/22/2015

    Liked their traditional dishes, but not very quiet and cozy place to seat down and relax...

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/5/2015
    1 check-in

    I love this place!  Can't miss with this one. I didn't give 5 stars because of the wait.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/9/2015
    1 check-in

    I love tapas.
    I love sangria.
    So obviously, I love Ba Ba Reeba.
    Snag a spot on the patio regardless of the weather or time of year (it has a retractable roof) for a more casual feel- request something in the back for more intimate experience.
    I haven't come close to sampling all of the menu, but 95% of what I have tried has been spot on- the other 5% was probably too spicy for me (I am a spice baby).
    I have, however, tried all of the sangria flavors and I am hard pressed to pick a favorite. Truly.
    Pair the awesome food and drink with the fact that this place is a Lettuce Entertain You (I always have gift cards) and always seems to have a promotion going on... and yep, this place often comes to mind when deciding on a place to get a bite in the city.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/22/2015

    Yay! Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeeeeeba! I love this place! Some of my favorite items include: the patatas bravas, chicken empanadas, chicken and ham croquettes, braised short rib, and the garlic shrimp. I love the red Sangria as well, one pitcher is good enough for 2 to get a nice buzz on.

    I would say this place is great but it is not OMG AMAZING or worth the crazy hype that it gets. It's definitely a fun spot to go with a group of friends because they actually take reservations. It does give off that chain restaurant vibe but it is balanced out with the good food and drinks they offer.

    I will be back soon! Love you ba-ba!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/13/2015
    4 check-ins

    (Says in Spanish accent): Get your tapas on at Ba-Ba-Rrrreeba!

    I made a reservation for my best friend and I to come here in celebration of her birthday. Neither of us had been here before, but we'd heard good things about it. We came on a Monday night, and expected it to be pretty empty. We were quite wrong! You'd never know that is was a Monday night here. There were lots of people there and the place was kicking! We got a table in the back area. The décor of the entire place was GORGEOUS. There was art on the walls, dim lighting, candles in Mason jars - everything was just so perfect!

    Our server was super helpful and explained the menu to us. We ordered the deviled egg tapa and patatas bravas to start with. They were both great! To drink, we both had the sangria. It was not super strong..it was more sweet (but that's how I like it!). For our entrée, we ordered the Paella with pork. We were surprised at how fast it was done. The menu said 45 minutes, but we're almost certain it was a shorter wait than that. It was super filling and delicious. Lots of great flavors and smells came from the Paella!

    For dessert, we ordered the chocolate truffle cake and the Butterscotch Caramel Custard. The desserts might have been my favorite part of the evening. DO NOT leave here without getting dessert! The portions of the desserts were very small, and that surprised us at first. Once we tasted each one, we knew why they were small. The desserts were SO amazingly sweet and rich, we could only handle a little bit of them! I think that's why the portions come smaller. The custard was just phenomenal with the caramel and the cake literally tasted like (and had the consistency of) chocolate fudge. Heck, I'll go as far to say that this place is worth a trip just for the dessert alone! Yes, it was THAT good. Our server packed up our leftovers (we had paella leftovers - we ate all the desserts!) and gave us our bill. For everything that we had there and the excellent service we received, it was a very reasonable price - $80 for tapas, the entrée, 2 sangrias/person, plus dessert!

    I will most DEFINITELY be coming back here soon!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/16/2015

    In the heart of trend we had a very fun and funny tapas experience.  Each plate was really good. And you can forget how fast a small plate dish can be developed in on the table.  The sour cream that comes with the roasted chicken empanadas was good enough to eat with a spoon (and I don't like sour cream).

    Good wine list, nothing to write home to momma about but very decent. Didn't have a "drank" but from the other tables they looked great.  Really fun atmosphere and huge. Great for dinner or a reception.

    They have valet but There was plenty of street parking.  We will go again soon

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/8/2015

    Tapas and paella are the things to get here.  There is a balance between vegetarian and meat tapas.  I really liked the wood oven roasted vegetables and short rib.  I thought the paella was a little salty.  Sangria is a must for a spot like this.  a pitcher is fine for a party of two or three.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    7/6/2015

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was SO incredibly busy and such a HUGE place that I was overwhelmed when walking in. But we got a couple spots at the bar in the back and settled in quite quickly. I was surprised at the volume level for the mass amount of people that were occupying the restaurant, which was nice. Service was great we were served drinks almost immediately upon sitting down and had food orders in shortly after. There were three of us and we each ordered three tapas items from the menu. Everything we tried was excellent. My favorite, strangely enough, was the spicy seasoned potatoes. So simple, yet so delicious! One can never go wrong with a bacon wrapped date either. Highly recommended. I would come here again.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/12/2015

    Fabulous Sunday brunch spot! Although I didn't try the Bloody Mary bar, I did sample the sangria selection and holy delicious. Not a dish I didn't like. Will return.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/7/2014
    Listed in Date Night

    Three words: baked goat cheese. Baked in tomato sauce and served with grilled bread, it's like a warm, creamy deconstructed pizza. I could eat just that.

    But, if you need more than goat cheese, the crudo is a nice option, as is the heirloom tomato salad. Portions are just enough for two people to share (if you're tasting a number of dishes).

    The atmosphere was trendy and great for a date or for going out with a small group of friends. The menu has an equal balance of dishes to satisfy meat eaters, pescetarians and vegetarians, so you don't have to worry about anyone being left out.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/4/2014
    1 check-in

    This place was good and my friend was excited to find another fun place in her neighborhood she hadn't been. I know there are many people that hate them, but I am a huge fan of small plates. You get to try a bunch of different food. We tried a bunch of different plates to share which is the way to go. The bacon wrapped dates were a standout. There are so many choices though. If I lived in Chicago I'd have to go back to try different things.

    Tip: You can get a free dessert if you check-in with the yelp app which we did.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/26/2014

    Perfect brunch.

    My girlfriends and I were visiting Chicago for the weekend and stumbled upon this place because we had heard great things. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba did not disappoint one bit.

    There is something for everybody on the brunch menu (link: cafebabareeba.com/wp-con…).

    Sangria: They are all very sweet. Our personal favorites were the white peach and passion fruit sangrias.

    Pintxos: In my opinion they are just even smaller tapas (bite-sized) -- perfect for sharing and allows you to try a little bit of everything. A friend of mine had a Groupon for the pintxos platter (pictured in review) so we were able to try all six pintxos listed on the menu. My favorite would have to be the deviled egg with bacon but they were all great!

    Brunch Tapas: Get the sausage-fried paella rice with poached egg! Really. Get it.

    Eggs & Omelets: I ordered the chorizo, manchego and vegetable omelet. One of the heavier omelets but it is savory and delicious.

    Our service was prompt and friendly. I really liked the ambiance with the white lights draping down from the ceilings. A+. Thank you for a great first brunch in Chicago!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/2/2015

    Amazing. I love this place. Honestly better food than anywhere else in LP. I love coming here and have tried out all of the sangrias. All are delicious!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/31/2014
    1 check-in

    This place is cozy, warm and absolutely stuffed to the gills with attractive young people, eating tapas, drinking wine, planning a summer vacation to Barcelona.  

    I went with a group of three others for my birthday, after my Chicago hosts suggested to come here.  The wait was about 45 mins, nothing too bad. It gave me time to peruse the suggestions on Yelp of what to order.

    I really enjoyed the experience of small plates.  We shares everything with one another.  The bacon wrapped dates, the garlic potato salad and the chicken and ham croquettes were my favorite.

    Use the basket of bread and olive oil provided for every table to soak up the sauces.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/14/2015
    1 check-in

    I have been here several times and have had a great experience every time. True Spanish style tapas with all the dishes I had when I was in Spain recently. The tapas I can't say no to are the: brussel sprouts salad, stuffed mushrooms, chorizo wrapped dates (seriously you MUST order these), goat cheese dip, and olives. The most recent time I had the beef and chicken empanadas and they were good but I could take them or leave them. The calamari is pretty good too. I don't know that you can really go wrong with any of the food though! I usually end up getting a pitcher or 2 of sangria while I'm there which is good but a little sugary for my liking. The ambiance is great, the service is friendly and you will definitely have a great time at this restaurant!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/30/2014

    I haven't been for a while and I was delighted by the early bird pinxtos at a buck a piece.
    Then I had a delish sopa de ajo with  an egg in it. I topped it off with their great flan.
    I'll be back for the other tapas. A great bargain daily from 4 to 6pm. I can't wait.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/30/2014
    1 check-in

    Let me say for the record... I adore Spain and tapas!!!! I wanted a romantic dinner and my husband delivered! We arrived and had a glass of sangria. I'm a light weight and my man loves ales. Lol. The sangria was excellent. Ok, two glasses are my limit.  Alright three but I'm stopping there.

    Onto the food: we had the following:
    - roasted dates with bacon and apple vinagaigrette
    - citrus-cured salmon, cucumber, creama, and toast
    - Rioja-braised short ribs with manchego mashed potatoes
    - wood-roasted peppers, eggplant & tomatoes
    - chocolate truffle cake
    - caramelized banana with crushed pistachio

    The food is amazing. Tapas are small dishes that are meant to be shared. Usually, you should order 2 - 3 dishes per person. Each dish can be between $6-12 depending upon what it is. Things can add up pretty quickly but the food is so worth it.

    Our waitress, Marilyn was exceptionally nice. She understood when ordering, we would appreciate it if only two dishes came out and not all at once. She timed it so there was a heavy dish paired up with a lighter dish. Our dishes complimented each other in taste and they didn't fight against each other. The only time we were stumped was when it came time for desserts. I opted for a chocolate truffle cake. It comes with kuluha and a dollop of whipped cream. I can hear my waist line popping. So worth it. I'll run on the treadmill for an extra hour. Yes, it's that incredible.

    Thanks to everyone who made it a memorable night. Special thanks goes to my husband who used Yelp to find this place. He knows I love tapas.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/1/2015

    Definitely will be back!
    Sangria very good as well as mix of tapas (highlights: tortilla, queso de cabra, pulpo)
    Looking forward to a return visit soon to check out more tapas....and the paella!

  • 2.0 star rating
    6/3/2015

    Great ambiance and decoration, but the food wasn't as great as it used to. I ordered an octopus with potatoes that was supposed to be grilled but it was burnt. I told the waiter that the dish tasted like charcoal and he changes the dish. The octopus was better but the potatoes were burnt, not-edible burnt. I told the waiter and he said that some people liked it  like this but he could take it off the bill if I wanted. I responded that it wasn't about the bill but about the quality of the food. He said he was sorry but the dish was like that.  Even though the decoration is great, if the food isn't, it's not worth it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/17/2015

    Great food. Love their garlic shrimp. They have some of the better tapas in Chicago. It can be tough to get a reservation, but well worth it. The service is very good as well. The managers always look out of large groups or repeat customers and say their thanks, etc.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/15/2014
    2 check-ins

    Tips:
    1. 1 Pitcher of White Peach Sangria per pair. Don't even bother with the other flavors unless you want to feel pure disappointment.
    2. If you haven't planned ahead, go early (5PM) to snag a seat at the bar.
    3. Shrimp with garlic sauce. Get creative with the bread.
    4. Scallops with prosciutto and orange
    5. Check in on Yelp and get a free dessert! Get the ice cream sandwiches with PUMPKIN ice cream. Pumpkin!!

    Ba-ba-reeba is wonderful. I prefer the seafood dishes over the beef/chicken, but there's something for everyone!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/9/2015

    Yummmy! I love brunch here more then most, you can choose lots of different options and a good price. The sangria is good and they also had a good dinner menue.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/2/2015

    The space is stunning, the service is great, and there are more tapas than a person could reasonably order in a lifetime. If sangria is your thing, it's also supposed to be quite good here.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/16/2015
    1 check-in

    This restaurant has amazing food. A group of girls and I went in Friday night and they turn out the food fast. I would recommend ordering a few tapas to start and follow with a second order so you're not overwhelmed. You definitely need to save room for the paella!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/30/2015

    I recently ate hear with a friend after a few years absence, still awesome.  The staff was great in suggesting dishes based on what we were looking for.  The dates wrapped in bacon are awesome and the Mixed berry Sangria was fabulous!!!!

    Great prices, they gladly took our Group on coupon and just a fun place.  Looking forward to going back more often.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/4/2015

    Ambiance is lively. They have a nice variety of sangria. Food is TASTY and just the right portion size. Service has been outstanding. I've been for brunch, lunch, dinner and never left unhappy.  There's good reason it's always busy.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/1/2015

    My friends and I decided to have a spontaneous girls night out on a Friday. Despite not having a reservation, we were seated within 20 minutes (approx.), which is not bad considering how busy it was.

    Although they do have larger entrees (paella,etc.), it's better to order a variety of Tapas to share. The fried calamari and roasted chicken empanadas were delicious! Although I did not try their Sangria,their mango mojito was incredible.

    Compared to other places that serves Tapas, like Cafe Iberico or Emilio's Tapas, Cafe Babareeba definitely has trendier and more romantic ambience.
    Great for a date, or girls night out .

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/31/2014
    1 check-in

    Overall: Fantastic tapas, atmosphere, and service. Perfect for a date, large group, or just after-hour drinks and snacks. Ba-Ba-Reeba is a great spot to try.

    The good: Fantastic tasting tapas, with a huge list to choose from. The paella was amazing as well. Left very full. For tapas, it was good on price. Nothing crazy expensive, nothing crazy cheap. Service was fast and friendly, got seated early. Atmosphere was romantic yet casual.

    The bad: Not very much...the waiting room was smaller, and the bar was full. Not a huge dessert menu.

    Atmosphere: 9/10
    Service: 10/10
    Food: 10/10

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/23/2014
    2 check-ins

    I came here on a Friday night with my family for dinner and the restaurant was PACKED. I definitely recommend making reservations ahead of time. We were super hungry when we got there so we started ordering haphazardly. However, we totally missed out on the paella (it takes about 30 minutes to make and we were halfway through our meal before we made that realization). Don't forget to check-in on Yelp--you get a free dessert tapa. :D

    Mango sangria we got a pitcher for $24, which was okay, but I think the classic red sangria is better.

    Wood-oven roasted vegetables with toasted pinenuts: this was one my favorite dishes of the night. Although the sauce was probably oil-based, it didn't seem oily at all.

    Rioja braised short rib, manchego mashed potatoes, charred spring onions: The short ribs are really good

    Seared lamb loin with mint salsa verde and pisto manchego: depending on how it's cooked, lamb is usually a hit or a miss with me. I was not a fan of this dish.

    Black garlic roasted chicken: my brother basically devoured this dish and mostly hogged it to himself. Needless to say, it was flavored pretty well.

    Grilled skewer of marinated pork belly and pork loin: this dish wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything extraordinary.

    Meatballs with sherry tomato sauce: my entire family really enjoyed this dish. My brother even saved the tomato sauce as a dipping sauce for his bread.

    Grilled octopus: this dish was the easiest to share since it was more plentiful than the others. Although the description includes a "fiery tomato sauce," I don't recall eating it with sauce (which may explain why I think the dish was more on the bland side).

    Seared sea scallops: the scallops were cooked just right, but we were disappointed that it only comes with 3 scallops (there were four of us).

    Spanish crudo: it comes with a few slices of raw fish soaked in olive oil. This dish got mixed reviews at our table--my mom thought it was good but my brother and I both thought it was forgettable. I probably would have liked it more if it wasn't swimming in olive oil.

    Natilla flan: the flan was too rich for my taste and less custard-like than I expected (I think it was made with cream cheese).

    Chocolate truffle cake: the title says it all.

    Overall, we enjoyed the food and the service was good--we kept stopping our waiter so that we could order more dishes and our water glasses were constantly refilled.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/2/2015
    2 check-ins

    We love this place.  It has delicious brunch and dinner.  After ordering most of the menu, there hasn't been one thing that hasn't been perfect.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/5/2015
    1 check-in

    Great restaurant, great atmosphere! Really good tapas as well. We came here for a friend's birthday and we really enjoyed the food and drinks. This place has the BEST sangria! I've never had sangria that tasted this yummy. If you're like me and don't like the taste of alcohol, definitely try their sangria!! Oh and their bacon wrapped dates were amazing. My friends really liked their seafood as well. The service is also really good - friendly waiters who give good recommendations. Their desserts were average though.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/21/2014

    Let me preface this by saying I am not a huge Tapas guy because generally they are way overpriced and you leave starving due to small portions. Not the case here at all.

    Went with a large group and shared an order with one other person and left spending about $25 per person (including tip) and was very full.

    Went with the short rib which was extremely succulent and tender and the ham/chorizo and manchego plate. Our side was the spicy potatoes which although were not spicy at all, had a great tomato alioli to go along with it. If you do find yourself hungry they also bring out Bread and Olive Oil to dip which is a huge plus as well.

    The main reason preventing me from giving this 5 stars was the sangria. It was extremely mild and at times I felt like I was not drinking wine at all. Not sure why, but it felt a little off for me.

    Overall though this place is a great spot for a birthday, date or large group.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/21/2014
    1 check-in

    We started at the bar while we waited fro our 12 top to be ready, and enjoyed excellent service and impeccable mixology.  

    Seated we enjoyed an endless flow of delicious sangria (8 different flavors, but I liked the regular red the best)

    the plates were all excellent, and just the right portions to share and pass around. the pallella finished the meal off properly several hours later.

    If you like tapas, Ba-Ba-Reeba is no joke.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/18/2015

    That sangria though...

    Seriously, this place is worth going to even just for the passionfruit sangria. All of the food dishes were on par with the drinks though, which is rare! The bacon-wrapped dates are a favorite of ours and the croquetas (and the garlic sauce they come with!) are the definition of comfort food. We've been here a few times and will definitely keep coming back.

  • 2.0 star rating
    2/1/2015
    1 check-in

    Eh.

    Seriously. We were all excited to check this place out after hearing such glowing praise. Not impressed.

    Their wine selection was surprisingly mediocre. We caught the douchey hipster staff pointing at us and laughing at our wine choice- but they were right... it was awful, even though I'd had a very similar Tempranillo and really enjoyed it.

    These tapas were overpriced and overhyped. Absolutely not worth the money we spent. Their cheese selection was again... mediocre. And when paired them with our two mediocre wines? More general 'meh'.

    We made it a point to order the more popular tapas and trusted our snobby server. Mistake. I've had better, more authentic tapas; for less money and better service.

    There are plenty of places that I'd felt I'd visited on an off day. Not Ba-Ba-Reeba. It was just pretty blah, and we left unimpressed.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/23/2015

    Had a great time. Food was excellent.  Go with a bunch of people so you can try multiple tapas.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/23/2015

    Great place! I've been here twice. Last time for my aunt's birthday. This place is great for larger groups, because you get to try more things on the menu this way. We tried the goat cheese (amazing!!), chicken empanada, spicy potatoes (they were not kidding about spicy, but so good), calamari, stuffed mushrooms...and a few more things that I can't even remember at the moment. The food was delicious. Sangria was pretty good. You have to remember that this is a Spanish tapas place, so portions are small so you can share and mix and match your plate. The food came out pretty quickly, unless you order paella. It was a little loud both times I was there and I would recommend calling ahead and getting a reservation, otherwise you might have to wait a while. Or you can sit a the bar if there is a spot.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/11/2014

    What can I say about Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba? Everything we ordered was an absolute hit. I kept waiting for one of our many menu selections to falter and only be medium delicious, but no. Everything, literally everything, was stellar.

    Our outstanding meal for two included *takes in a full, deep breath*... Spicy potatoes with tomato aioli, spinach & manchego-stuffed mushrooms, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, rioja-braised short rib with manchego mashed potatoes, charred spring onions & rioja wine glaze, a roasted chicken empanada, roast dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette, and a half pitcher of classic red sangria.

    Was I so full that I needed to be rolled out of the restaurant like the oversized blueberry that was Violet in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Yes. Was I sorry about overeating? Definitely not. I'd do it all over again in a second!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/9/2014

    What is not to love about sangria and tapas? This place does both very well. I love it here.

    I highly recommend the goat cheese and the spicy potatoes. I really have not had anything I dislike here! Service is great too.

    Despite it being so busy all the time (which explains the one star knocked off...Quoted times are usually longer than what they say and can go up to 2-3 hours! :(  I still find myself waiting it out because the food is that good!

    I highly recommend making a reservation in advance especially for a party of 4 or more.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/28/2015

    I have eaten authentic Spanish food in various cities in Spain, and I would have to say that Ba-Ba-Reeba matches up.

    The dishes are delicious and authentic, and although I didn't get a chance to try the paella, I enjoyed everything I had (despite being a vegetarian and thus not able to enjoy as much as I would otherwise).

    A little pricey, but definitely worth a visit.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/8/2014

    Paella is always a must have there and is delicious -- truly fills you up when you think ordering 2 small plates a person is enough. It's enough if you're on a diet, sure, but after a pitcher or two of sangria you're going to want something to soak up the fruity wine.

    It's a great option for friends who are gluten-free or vegetarians. They have gluten-free bread upon request. And I've heard great things about their New Year's Day brunch which fills up weeks in advance. You've been warned.  

    If you're making reservations for any other day of the week, make them two weeks in advance otherwise they're prone to tell you that they can seat you at 10 pm the earliest if you call the week of.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/21/2015

    This place could get 5 stars but even when you make a reservation you wait. I had booked a private party the first time I went there and the lady couldn't find my name and wasn't even going to ask anyone else. The other hostess happened to walk up and knew about our party. The second time I made reservations on lettuce entertain you and we still waited twenty minutes to be seated. If I want to wait I would just walk in. But the food is amazing. And you must get the sangria. The chicken paella is the best. The bacon wrapped dates are incredible too. The best way to have a great experience is for everyone in your party to order two or three plates and share it all. I'm always stuffed when I leave.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/27/2015

    Great restaurant, cute patio, and good service.  I've been here many times and still love coming back.  The food is awesome, and I love the different flavor sangrias. They also have an excellent happy hour menu!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/2/2014
    1 check-in
    Listed in Yelp 365 challenge

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has long been a solid stand by for us as it is usually fairly easy to get in since the place is enormous.  We went this weekend for brunch and again it did not disappoint.

    Some highlights:

    - Bacon wrapped dates (duh)
    - Goat cheese marinara
    - Spicy potatoes
    - Blue cheese tenderloin
    - Deviled eggs

    Of those I would say the potatoes are the best.  Some of the best aioli I have ever had in my life comes with those bad boys.

    We also all checked in on Yelp for a free dessert and they were delicious and a surprisingly generous portion.

    243/365

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/17/2015

    "I'll have one of those, and one of those too. Give me all the things you have wrapped in bacon. And the Spanish deviled egg. Especially the Spanish deviled egg."

    This was me at this restaurant. Plates were tiny like it was a restaurant for children. Had to order more plates than normal because of tiny plates. Wasn't children's food though. This is definitely a restaurant for adults. Enjoyed the octopus. Wanted more octopus, really, but was with a woman and didn't want to gross her out by only ordering octopus. So I ordered a salad as well. Was surprised by how much I like salad. What was very good also was the queso de cabra al horno. Spanish for cheese ball in tomato soup. Waiter was very nice. Lady I was going to eat with came late and waiter made me feel not like loser while sitting alone with sangria pitcher.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/29/2014
    3 check-ins

    Hands down one of the best restaurants I have ever been to in my life!

    This is how our order broke down: chicken empanada, garlic potato salad, fried calamari, stuffed mushrooms, and finally the main course of the seafood paella.

    I'm having trouble (still) deciding which dish was my favorite. If I HAD to choose, I would pick the stuffed mushrooms as the top appetizer, but they were all phenomenal to say the least. The peach white sangria was also extremely tasty!

    My only disappointment was that the "build your own Bloody Mary" bar was only open for their brunch menu and not offered at dinner. But that was made up for when I found out we got a free desert tapas wen we checked in on Yelp. ALL THE WINS HERE!

    I will most definitely be making frequent trips back to this hot spot ;)

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/29/2015

    This place is great, the happy hour special at the bar is a fantastic deal and the bacon wrapped dates are amazing!

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  • 5.0 star rating
    6/23/2015

    I love this place, it's great value and perfect for large groups. I'm always weary of tapas restaurants because I'm always worried I'll pay a lot and leave hungry but I've been satisfied and surprised at how low the bill is when it arrives.

    The food is excellent, and yes, the bacon-wrapped dates live up to the hype.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/13/2014
    1 check-in

    Ohmigosh.. I LOVED this place, and this place will be a "must stop" spot for many future trips to Chicago. Unassuming from the outside and totally awesome inside. I have no idea how big this place is, but it's much bigger than it looks from the outside.

    While visiting a friend, he made a reservation at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. I read through the Yelp reviews before our dinner so I see what people recommended for dinner. All of the reviews looked amazing, so I relied on my friend and his expert option to help guide the menu for the evening. Our choices in my order of  tasty goodness:

    -Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese. Really.. can you go wrong with blue cheese?
    -Bacon wrapped dates. I easily could have eaten the entire plate
    -Seared bay scallops - they could have used a bit more of a sear on them, but I still devoured my share and could have eaten more
    -Splcy Potatoes - the heat sneaks up on you, which is wonderful. I'll be attempting to make these at home

    We also got the White Sangria. The first glass was excellent, but after time, it became a little too sweet for me. Thankfully the server was spot on when it came to refilling my water, keeping me hydrated and allowed me to finish the sangria; because, let's face it, you can't waste sangria.

    Definitely make a reservation if you're coming.. there was quite the crowd hanging out waiting for a table.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/12/2015

    Even after travelling around Spain for two weeks, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba still serves my favorite tapas/Spanish food in the world.

    Highlights include bacon-wrapped dates, goat cheese in tomato sauce, braised short rib, and the paella with pork belly.

    The ambiance was fun and lively. I'll definitely be returning soon.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/5/2014

    We went for brunch on a chilly Sunday morning. The food turned out pretty well and we all ordered a few breakfast items and the cute little breakfast pinxots. They were all delicious except for the chicken and waffle item. It was more like a chicken sausage corn dog. Not my favorite.

    The complete star of their brunch is their Bloody Mary bar!!! It was great and they had so many toppings and excellent additions! So delicious. I especially loved their gazpacho option for the tomato juice. Also at $9 for top shelf vodka that's pretty good!

    Will definitely return to try their dinner sometime.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/7/2015

    The food: 3.5/5. I went a long time ago and thought it was pretty good, so it warranted a visit back. The first time I went I remembered grilled octopus was delicious, so I ordered it right away. Sadly, it was very disappointing this time, as it was completely burnt, so I could only eat about a quarter of it. Even the fingerling potatoes that came with it were all black. We also had a potato omelette, which has a nice texture but lacked some spices. Garlic shrimp was nice, but a little too greasy. My favorite thing on the menu are their chicken and ham croquettes.

    The service: 3.5/5. The service was fast and friendly, but not good on giving recommendations.

    Overall: 3.5/5. It's not my favorite place in town, but I'll probably be back when I want something casual and I don't know what I'm in the mood for.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/26/2015

    This place is just so dependable. I often venture here for dinner with out of town guests (many from NYC) and they all love it! The atmosphere is wonderful, the sangria is very good, and the menu has something for everyone (it is of course tapas!), and none of it disappoints. The service is typically excellent as well. The only reason I give 4 stars rather than 5 is because of all of Chicago's fabulous restaurants, nothing on the menu here is out of this world memorable, but again it's all very good! Prices are also quite reasonable.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/11/2014

    There aren't too many negative things that can be said about Ba-Ba-Reeba. It has been my go to for tapas in the city for nearly a decade. The bacon wrapped dates, tomato bread, patatas bravas, and chicken croquettes are my regular staples. On top of that we usually order 3 other items and that is PLENTY for dinner. The white peach sangria has always been my favorite. Staff is always friendly and accommodating. Though reservations are usually a good idea, they do have a ton of seating areas. Prices are pretty standard and it's an awesome spot for groups.

    The restaurant is also a great choice for private parties. My mom threw my bridal shower here in the spring and they were so great about everything. We had a large private room, great staff (even helping load gifts into the car), and wonderful food options!

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/12/2015

    I have been here twice and both times were about the same. I was sat in the back area that was a little awkward. Both times the service was fairly slow.

    I went here based on recommendations from friends and I have to say I did not understand all the hype about it. The food was ok for the amount of money each item costs. The garlic shrimp was something I could have easily made at home. They do have some exceptional items but for the most part I was disappointed.

    The desserts were the best part of the meal. The flan is a must try.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/9/2015
    2 check-ins

    I've been here for dinner, and it was a very traditional tapas-night-out experience. The sangria was killer, though!

    Anyways, I just went here for brunch with friends over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised! I had no idea what to expect for a tapas-styled brunch, but it was everything I could ask for and more. We were a large group of 8 so we got nearly every brunch tapa offered AND the breakfast paella.

    For one, the paella was amazing!! It was essentially everything you love about brunch meets fried rice. Does it get any better than that? Aside from the paella, I really enjoyed the brunch tapas we selected. Honestly I think I enjoyed this so much because every time I get brunch I go through the painstakingly hard decision between sweet and savory--and with tapas I got both.

    Finally, the price was incredibly reasonable! We each paid $18--including tip--for the tapas, paella, sides, and coffee. I literally cannot and still do not believe it. Highly recommend for brunch!!

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/9/2015

    Went to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! last Saturday night in a group of 4.

    The good: Bacon wrapped dates!

    The bad/ugly: Called in the morning for a reservation, none available. Was told to call again 5:30 PM to get on the list, and was then told it would be a 90 minute wait. Arrived at 6:30 and got some sangria in the bar while we finished our wait. At 7:15, my friend asked the hostess when our name would come up. She said 10-15 more minutes. At 7:45 (over 2 hours of waiting later), my friend asked again and they said their system wasn't working properly but they had tried to text us. We had to text. They told us it would be another 10-15 minutes as we watched people who arrived after us get seated. At 8 PM, we were finally seated at 2.5 hours of waiting and no apologies. We couldn't possibly enjoy our experience after that.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/11/2014

    I am just not a fan of tapas, but where my friends go, I go too. I just hate the idea of paying $8 for a couple of shrimp that everyone has to fight over and being the polite one, I go last and get scraps but then have to split the bill evenly. So, the last two times I've been here, I've ordered my own plates. But that still means I'm spending $30 on two skewers of meat, and a glass or two of sangria. I admit the portions here are a little better than some places, though I think this place is hyped up a bit more and so is more expensive than maybe Cafe Iberico which has even better portions and prices.

    The service was slow, and yes they were busy, but so were we. We needed to eat and get out and go do something else. I was waiting on one of my skewers until the very end of the meal when everyone else had pretty much finished eating and I was sitting waiting without any food in front of me. Tapas without the sharing part sucks. Everyone else seems to love it and good for them. But for the price, the food is just not worth it. Bah humbug.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/6/2014
    1 check-in

    Nothing bad here but nothing memorable here either. Started off with a date wrapped in chorizo stuffed with cheese: good; and the olive stuffed with anchovies: I don't like olives but my cousin does she said it was good. Ordered a fresh farm salad (their signature) lacked seasoning but very fresh and light. Then ordered the short rib with mashed potatoes: it was ok, a bit chewy and also needed more seasoning. Octopus was probably the better dish of the night but I've had better elsewhere. Scallops were fine but again not that memorable. As for the dessert.. Skip the caramelized banana, the waiter highly recommended it but nothing more than just caramelized bananas. The truffle chocolate cake had nothing to do with truffle and was super dense and chocolatey, not my style.

    Anyway, this place may be good for a party but I wouldn't come back here.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/21/2015

    Awesome food and service! Delicious tapas and our Rioja Spanish wine bottles were well worth the price!! Our amazing waitress, Samantha made our evening even more special. She was extremely courteous and professional!! As an event planner for a major Fortune 500 corporation, I acknowledge great service we you receive it!  If in Lincoln Park, it's a must!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/12/2014
    4 check-ins

    This place deserves a 5 star review. Since moving to Chicago, this is our go to place for dinner. It is amazing small plates to share with two or more. I highly recommend the braised short ribs. It comes with manchego mashed potatoes, which in my opinion, should be there own dish to order.

    This is also a great spot for vegetarians. There are so many options and the menu changes seasonally, keeping their signature plates.

    The service is excellent and I can happily say that I have never had a bad experience with a server at this restaurant.

    I never thought Spanish tapas would be my thing, considering I love spicy food and there isn't much alive on the menu, but I am absolutely obsessed with this restaurant. We have bright friends from out of state here, family, and friends. Needless to say I will always be back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/2/2015

    The best tapas place I've been to in Chicago. The seafood paella and calamari is really good. White Peach Sangria - can't go wrong with that. Love the atmosphere & how much energy there is. The waitstaff is incredibly welcoming. They have cool paintings on the walls of what looks to me like a modern day Spanish Prince. Really great time and experience; would highly recommend it.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/23/2015

    Everything about this place is great.  The service is on point and they have a great variety of dishes.  You're going to want to order 2-3 items per person, and they do a really good job of spacing everything out.  It really feels like they are constantly bringing more food out right as you finish - and that's because they are.  Most important advice - try the sangria.  All of them.  My favorite in Chicago and comparable to those I've had in Europe.  Is black cherry sangria a girly drink to order on a date?  Probably.  Do I care when it tastes that good?  Not at all.  Don't miss out.  Not to mention it's really cheap considering the quality of the food/experience.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/14/2015

    I can't say enough of about this place, nor can I stop eating/drinking there! Their sangria is so yummy! Some of the best in the city I've had. I have tried various items on their menu, but I highly recommend the brussels sprout salad, the spicy potatoes with tomato aioli, fried calamari,and  chorizo wrapped date, and butterscotch pudding!!

    Make sure you make reservations, or prepare to have a couple sangrias at the bar while you wait for your table. Service has always been amazing too! I've sat at the bar and at a table. I will forever recommend and love this place!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/29/2015
    Listed in date night in chi

    Superb sangria (got the seasonal apple cider one). We got about 11 tapas for 4 people and left verg full. Highlights included the shrimp and spicy potatoes. Ambiance was warm, candle lit, but very friendly and not just filled with dates. The line is long so make a reservation!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/7/2015

    We recently ate here while on vacation over New Years. It was amazing! Everything we had was delicious. The bacon wrapped dates are amazing. Everyone should try those! The Brussel sprout salad had the most amazing nutty flavor due to the almonds but they did not over power the dish. The spicy potatoes were good, but I could have used more spice. We also had the steak with blue cheese, meatballs with sherry sauce, the scallops, and the Moroccan Chicken.  All were amazing. However, the best part of the whole night was the Burrata. The flavor of this delicious snack is indescribable.

    We also had a pitcher of sangria and I ordered a margarita. All were very good. Our server was great and very attentive. I think this will become a new 'must go' for me s when we are in Chicago!

  • 2.0 star rating
    6/7/2015

    I don't know how this place has a line everyday

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/7/2015

    Great service, great food and drinks and nice atmosphere for a fun dinner night out. And you get a lot for your money! 4 people, all of us had plenty of food and drinks for about $30/person, amazing!

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/29/2014
    1 check-in

    So while I'm as gringo as they come, I'm a huge fan of Spanish and Latin cuisine. My wife and I came here on a whim, a last minute thing. We went in and were seated promptly. The ambiance is beautiful with Spanish and abstract artwork throughout. Soft music and dim lights make even an ugly place seem nice but the decor is superb regardless.

    For once, I decided to not order the paella, even though I'm sure it would have been as incredible as everything else. We had the bacon wrapped dates, the special New Zealand venison, the fried calamari, fried peppers, pork belly, and the pinxos platter. The venison reminded me of O Toro (for you sushi fans) in how it practically melted in your mouth. The Pinxos platter is essentially a sampler of all of their pinxos (appetizers) which was lovely. The fried peppers were surprisingly nice. They were a tray of a not super spicy pepper, I believe green jalapeños, fried, with most of the heat cooked out. There was however a big red pepper, which was still quite spicy. They are in some sort of a savory sauce with course salt. If you like savory with a light amount of heat, the peppers hit the spot.

    Funnily enough, dessert was my favorite part even though I generally prefer savory over sweet. Being a yelper I picked up that they give a free dessert tapa for each guest. My wife and I ordered the ice cream sandwiches and the chocolate truffle. The truffle was an exceptionally rich block of truffle chocolate with a homemade creamy whipped cream dollop to the side. Very good, but not really my cup of tea. The ice cream sandwiches were home made pumpkin iced cream between two ginger snap cookies, with a bit of powdered sugar and cinnamon or nutmeg (not quite sure from the flavor explosion) sprinkled on top. I took a small bite of one and was blown away! We will be back if not solely for those ice cream sandwiches.

    Big fan! We will be back for another "date night"

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/5/2015
    1 check-in

    The food was 4 stars. Tapas always can satisfy me because you get to try so many food without getting full quickly on one dish. However, the service was a 3 star. To start with, there was a big piece of paper (looks like a champion wrap" next to my feet when I sat down. Then after we ordered, my passion fruit sangria came in after two tapas were already on the table. I believe a good server always know that the drink should arrive before any dishes. And these is also the water issue; my water glass was empty for at least 40 mins before the server noticed it. I would come back for the food but hopefully the service gets better. It is a 3.5 star.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/3/2015
    1 check-in

    Went here for a large reception, and they did a great job with the private event. There were so many things that were SO GOOD. Favorites included: baked goat cheese, roasted potatoes with tomato aioli, bacon wrapped dates, and pork paella. My main complaint (why this isn't five star) is they seemed to recycle dishes, and they put so much food on the menu that by the time we got to the heavier courses, no one was hungry anymore! We were all looking at these thick skewers of meat thinking both: wasn't this with a slightly different sauce on the side (or, in the case of the chicken, the same sauce on the side) an earlier plate? Also, how can I eat any more? On the realm of disappointment: I wasn't a fan of the chicken toro (a little bland and a bit of a repeat) or the chocolate cake (which seemed pretty devoid of interesting flavors). Overall, though, very attentive service and a great experience!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/27/2014
    1 check-in

    Ba Ba Reeba is all I can say.  No really what a fun place for any celebration.  7 kinds of Sangria.  We only had 2 different kinds but we finished both pitchers.  One was peach the other was with Champagne.  That was my favorite

    Food-oh my I don't think I remember everything but we had yummy potatoe bites, garlic shrimp, bacon wrapped dates, marinated vegetables, steak skewers and Paella.    The bread and oil beforehand is crusty and delicious.  Oh yes we had a few desserts.  I left full and maybe a bit buzzed.  

    What a fun night.  Great Tapas and Sangria.  Thanks to my brother for taking us after his daughters graduation.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/10/2015

    My all-time favorite place for tapas. Try everything at lease once (I know I have!) Chorizo-wrapped medjool dates and cheese are delicciiouuussssss. Goat cheese baked in tomato sauce is perfection. Their octopus is always flavorful and has the right amount of salt and spices.  White peach sangria is very yummy! If you haven't been, you have to go! And if you have, then you know you will be back for more!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/16/2014

    I came this past Halloween for the first time, because on past trips to Chicago this place was always packed with a wait time of over an hour. This time I came on a Thursday and made sure to make a reservation! It was pretty busy so it's understandable that our server didn't come around as often as we wanted her to when we kept adding orders...

    I wish I came with a bigger group so I could have tried more things on the menu, but 6 tapas for 4 people was plenty for us already. I was pretty obsessed with their roasted dates with bacon and apple vinaigrette (so juicy and flavorful...did not even know I could like dates), meatballs with sherry tomato sauce (I love meatballs, and don't think sherry tomatoes are anything special, but whatever they did with this combo made it so delicious), and spicy potatoes with tomato alioli (just all kinds of amazing, definitely fancier than your regular home fries lol). The other things didn't wow me just because of my personal preferences (not crazy about blue cheese, goat cheese, or seafood). Feast your eyes on these pics from our meal:

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/20/2015
    1 check-in

    Three stars because we waited over three hours to get a table despite calling to put our name on their list at six on a Friday night - the food was good but it wasn't THAT good! If you can get in without waiting so long I recommend the sangria and their carrots with dill sauce (though that was a special the night I went so they may not be offering it).

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/24/2015
    1 check-in

    Great restaurant! Service was great, atmosphere is very nice as well. Must have the peach sangria, but everything on the menu is good.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/13/2014
    1 check-in
    Listed in Chicago

    Everything was great.  We started off with a pitcher of Mango Sangria and put in the order for the Seafood Paella.  

    32 - goat cheese baked in tomato sauce
    30 - spicy potatoes
    51 - short ribs
    44 - garlic shrimp
    67 - dates w/ bacon

    And yes...I would do it all over again.  Just enough food for 4.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/13/2015

    There is something about Cafe Ba - Ba - Reeba that makes me want to go there again and again. The ambience is so cozy and comfortable. I am fond of the tapas style menu. The food in general is very good. I tried their popular Paella but didn't quite like it. The rice was undercooked and there was nothing special about it. My favorites are the chicken empanada, stuffed mushrooms, and lamb. The desserts here are amazing. The portions are just the right amount and I love the chocolate truffle cake. I think it's the truffle cake that makes me wanna keep going back :) This restaurant is great for groups and date nights.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/23/2015
    1 check-in

    Always delicious. Get the papas bravas! They're delicious. And don't pass on the sangria either

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/16/2015
    1 check-in

    This was my second trip to this wonderful place! We went on valentines night and obviously they were running 30mins behind for people who already had appointments. That caused for a lot of impatient couples, but we were fine! After 30mins we were seated and this wonderful server came to take our orders.

    We started off with the bacon wrapped dates, spicy potatoes, goat cheese and short ribs and put in the order for the pork paella. All the tapas were delicious! The short ribs melted in our mouths! When the paella came, it looked a bit burnt but we decided not to say anything. As soon as we started eating, we could definitely taste the burnt rice that were super crunchy and the meats were bitter. I'm not the type of person to send the food back but it was my boyfriend's first time trying tapas and I wasn't gonna let him have this paella! It was already 11:00pm and when the server came we explained the situation. He looked at the paella and was very accommodating on taking it back and offered to whip up another serving. We were already tired and opted for two different tapas - seared spanish sausage and beef skewers. Sausages were on point, but the beef skewer was also very burnt and tasted bitter.

    We ate it nonetheless and got the caramelized banana for desert (yay yelp checkin!) The service got slow at the end but it could be due to having too many people? Not sure. But despite the fact we had some delicious tapas and my bf's a fan now so we'll be definitely exploring some different tapas places :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/26/2015

    We took a friend here for her birthday and we were nothing short of impressed. My friend who lived in Spain for five months was extremely happy to taste the things that she missed. The atmosphere was great and the tapas were authentic. I give this place two thumbs up!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/7/2015

    This place rocks.  The tapas menu is great for someone like me who wants to taste one of everything.  Sip on sangria, nosh on a few small plates (i.e. brussel sprout salad, croquets, scallops) and end with a paella...YUM!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/6/2015
    1 check-in

    Good vibrant restaurant!! Loved the make your own bloody Mary experience!! Very tasty small plates, tapas and pintxos!!! Awesome ambience for young folks!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/30/2015

    Part of the Lettuce Entertain You chain, but gotta love it anyway as the food is so good!

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/31/2013

    My first time at a Tapas restaurant and it was WONDERFUL! For those who aren't familiar, Tapas are appetizer-like dishes combined with a paella to make a full meal.

    A group of 5 of us tried the Pintxos platter, the spinach and manchego-stuffed mushrooms (5 only), grilled squid with olive oil and garlic (large portion), spicy potatoes with tomato alioli (large portion) and 2 other tapas I forgot and the seafood paella. I was very impressed with all the tapas but liked the GRILLED SQUID and SPICY POTATOES the most. You can't really go wrong with any of the tapas. Also, don't let my picture of the pintxos platter fool you - everything on there is DELICIOUS and my favorite one was the GOAT CHEESE CROQUETA WITH LEMON GASTRIQUE.  My only mild complaint was that the seafood paella was saltier and stickier than I would have liked. TIP: TWO SERVINGS of paella is able to satisfy 5 people (2 guys, 3 girls).

    TRY THE PASSION FRUIT SANGRIA! The alcoholic taste is minimal and is a fresh complement to the meal.

    The servers are attentive but not overly hovering. The front of the restaurant is also deceptive; it is quite spacious inside. Be sure to make RESERVATIONS! This place is always hopping!

    (As a side note, to get the faucet to turn on in the restroom, stick your hand behind the faucet opening and underneath the pipe.)

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/29/2014 Updated review

    Very few places are as consistently good but I returned twice in the past month and enjoyed good food once again! Service was good, ambiance is fun, but this place rocks because of their food!! Their potatoes are excellent, the goat cheese and toast really good, paella awesome, brussel sprouts salad addictive! Vegetarian friendly and tasty!

    Their desserts are awesome - only $3 and so yummy!

    4.0 star rating
    4/8/2012 Previous review
    5 years later, the same review holds -- I guess I've added a star because comparatively, there are… Read more
    3.0 star rating
    7/19/2007 Previous review
    I agree with some other people who yelped about this restaurant.

    It's noisy, over-crowded and…
    Read more
  • 2.0 star rating
    2/16/2015

    We went here for our pre-valentine meal (2/13) and ordered the pitzoks (spelling) platter along with 2 tapas and a paella for each of us. We also ordered half a pitcher of the passion fruit sangria. I enjoyed the sangria and the pitzoks. The octopus tapas was overcooked and tasted like charcoal. The paella was not any better. I have gotten better paella at a mom and pop place in south florida. It was disappointing with all the positive reviews this place gets, you would think you don't have to eat charcoal octopus. Heck, it probably would taste better uncooked.

    I didn't mind the 20 mins wait with reservation and glad I didn't go here for our valentine meal.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • Start your review of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!.

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    • Eek! Methinks not.
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  • 5.0 star rating
    5/15/2015

    Love their food and even more the sangria! Last time we were there the service wasn't the best, but I get that they were pretty busy. Food was still great as usual, so definitely 5 stars! I recommend their french toast, grits and shrimp and the nutella waffles! (brunch menu)

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/11/2015

    I've been to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba several times, for both dinner and brunch. They are a great spot for a larger crowd, and the food is always dependably good. That said, they don't take a lot of risks with their menu.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/14/2014 Updated review

    This review is for brunch, see my previous review for dinner review.

    My hubby and I took my mom for Mother's Day brunch and Cafe Ba-ba-Reeba did not disappoint.  I over-ordered because I wanted mommy to be able to try everything.  

    Our server was very nice and he was busy, they were slammed, but he was still pretty attentive.  They gave all the mothers a loaf of yummy bread which I thought was sweet.  Now for the food:

    We had mango sangria, amazing!
    Then we had the deviled egg w/ bacon and chicken on a stick wrapped in waffle batter pinxtos...I preferred the amazing chicken on a stick.

    My husband had chicken sausage and egg which he was was great.

    Mom and I ordered tapas.  Bacon wrapped dates were delicious as always.  We had the ham hash with an egg, it was ok, just a little too sweet for me.  Now, the waffle with carmelized bananas was so good, my mom absolutely loved it.  The mac n' cheese w/ bacon was not very cheesy, we basically just ate the tasty bacon from it.  the last and also delicious item we had was spinach and artichoke crepe.  It was really flavorful and something I had never tried before.

    We were too stuffed for dessert, but very pleased with our choices.  I would definitely come back for brunch again and there's more items to try!

    4.0 star rating
    7/31/2011 Previous review
    I'm giving a 4 because this is my second time here and I didn't love everything the first time, but… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    7/21/2015

    Great bloody mary bar!  If you're a fan of tapas, definitely a fun place to go with a group.... just be sure to plan ahead and make reservations.  Very cool atmosphere, great for taking out-of-towners to show them a unique Chicago joint without breaking the bank!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/12/2015
    1 check-in

    You definitely will enjoy the restaurant as much as I did it if you like tapas and the food from Spain. As a Spaniard I was reluctant when I went in expecting something not very elaborated and kind of  superficial  at the expense of a more traditional Spanish cuisine but it turned out that their menu is pretty balanced, which  brings the opportunity of experiencing an authentic Spanish meal not only because of the food but also because of the wine list and beers (e.g. Estrella Damm Inedit) and the atmosphere. It could be cool for a casual dinner if you're in a mood for Spanish food. Plus one of the strengthens is that the quality is quite high with decent prices for a casual dinner!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/18/2015

    I have been going here for years and the food and service is still out of this world. Its wonderful for a group or just two. Not only is the food good, but the Sangria is delicious.

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/31/2015
    1 check-in

    The place was busy. Even after making a reservation, we had to wait. Not cool.

    Watch out where they seat you. We were initially seated behind a door and it felt tight. Even after we chose another  seat, there was a constant interruption of people walking through (waiters & customers).

    The food was good, but fell short, compared to other local tapas restaurants.  It lacked some flavor; some spice.  

    The waiter forgot to order one of the items we ordered. Patatas Bravas, which was a favorite at other tapas.

    The Passion Fruit Sangria seemed watered down. Although, it was tasty, it just didn't live up to sangria.

    The name of the place is catchy and cool sounding, but it's only skin deep.  With a name like that, I would expect live music.  Come to think of it, I don't recall hearing any.

    On a positive note, the decor was mellow and relaxing. Enough people to act as white noise, yet not a place for private conversations.

    I've heard so much about this cafe, yet I have to say, overall, I was disappointed.  Perhaps, they may get another chance to redeem themselves, but for now, I plan to explore other places.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/19/2014

    So, I enjoy Tapas, I have just avoided this restaurant for a long while.

    The location puts it in the middle of fratboy, congested city- just not my style. However, when a good friend was having a babyshower, I knew I needed to let go of location issues and enjoy the food.  

    Enjoy I did!

    The food was plentiful and filling!

    The roasted garlic potato salad will be in my dreams forever
    The curried chicken salad was pretty tasty
    I was in love with the croquetas
    The short ribs were awesome
    There was a goat cheese, garlic bread dish ( I know, I know, my brain is not awake yet) that really hit the spot!
    Who could complain about the desserts?

    The show stopper (beside the croquetas) was the mango sangria! Keep it coming!

    I so wish they delivered that!

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/16/2015

    3 stars specifically because our waiter was really sweet and took the awful shrimp and grits off our bill. This place is so overrated. Breakfast paella really missed the mark. This place is a perfect example of the mediocrity of Lincoln Park at its finest. The yuppies can have it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/2/2014
    3 check-ins ROTD 8/25/2014

    What can I say that hasn't been said? Not much I'm sure.

    I like Cafe Ba Ba Reeba for a variety of reasons. Their sangria is tops, I always start with a glass or three. The passion fruit sangria is my favorite. The tapas are bit larger than most at other restaurants. I always forget this when I am there and end up ordering too much, but there are worse problems to have.

    I like that every time I dine at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba I have a good experience. The food is good,they are consistent, and service is quick and friendly!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/9/2015
    2 check-ins

    Amazing tapas and cocktails in a very cool atmosphere. Variety of cocktails and great service too. Highly recommended

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/25/2014
    1 check-in

    This place is always my favorite! Literally nothing I've tried here has been below amazing. Some of my personal favorites are the following:

    Potatoes Bravas - Sauce comes on the side so you can decide how much spice you want. Potatoes are super crispy, just the way I like them!

    Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese and Potato Chips - The beef is super tender, cooked to medium, and the blue cheese is the perfect accompaniment to this. The chips are homemade and add a good crunch to the dish.

    Shrimp in Garlic/Olive Oil - They are always cooked just right - not rubbery like most places tend to do. They are simple and delicious.

    Goat Cheese w Marinara - The toast points are garlicy and cripsy, the goat cheese is soft and the marinana sauce is seasoned to perfection.

    Meatballs - There are about 5 meatballs, all pretty pretty, so it's a good size tapa. They are tender and I believe they use the same marinana sauce that the goat cheese comes with.

    Lamb Kabobs - These are super flavorful! There are three in the dish and they have been grilled and marinated for deliciousness. They taste similar to indian kabobs but more tender and come in a tomato sauce!

    Pincho de Pollo y Chorizo - My favorite Pincho de Pollo is at Cafe Iberico, but this one is delicious as well. It comes with a sauce that I wish i could make at home. The chicken is grilled, as well as the chorizo. It's pretty basic but really great!

    Sangria - They always have a bunch of different types to choose from. I've never had a bad one, although I do wish they were a little stronger ;) You also can't go wrong with a bottle of wine!

    Carmelized Banana with Ice Cream - This is always my favorite dessert! The carmel is roasted on top of the banana to create a crunch, and the warm banana/carmel is paired with a vanilla bean ice cream, which is just heaven!

    The service is great here, especially since they are always jammed packed! The ambiance is great for bigger groups or double dates. I wouldn't call it romantic, but there are 5 different rooms, so depending on where you sit the noise level can be pretty loud or a little quieter. Can't wait to come back here soon!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/4/2014
    1 check-in

    I had heard great things about this place for a long time and am thrilled that I finally got a chance to try it. I did my research on yelp beforehand to ensure that I got the most out of my cafe ba-ba-reeba experience.

    Between the two of us, my boyfriend and I ordered the following:

    -sangria
    -mushroom toast
    -spicy potatoes
    -spinach and manchengo stuffed mushrooms
    -grilled flank steak
    -shrimp with garlic
    -chicken and chorizo sausage

    Most of these dishes got raving reviews and we definitely agreed. The only one that didn't was the steak. Unfortunately, we didn't listen and tried it anyway. The meat was way too chewy and is probably the reason I'm not giving a 5 star rating.

    Everything else about the atmosphere was excellent. We told the hostess that we had a show to catch after our meal and she made sure to seat us right away and made sure that we got out of there on time. Definitely will be returning!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/22/2014
    1 check-in

    This is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. I've been coming here for years and have always had a good experience. These are the must haves in my opinion. The crispy potatoes as well as the garlic potatoes. The curried chicken salad the goat cheese in tomato sauce and the sherry meatballs and the bacon wrapped dates. The desserts are delicious especially the chocolate and the tres leches. The desserts are way too small in my opinion. I get that they are tapas but that's just too small for me and annoying.  and I will say that I wasn't impressed with the more expensive dishes on the menu. The streak is nothing special in my opinion and neither is the chicken skewers. So I usually stick with my favorites and that is more than enough. It can be overly crowded at times and it's hard to get a table as a walk in on weekends. I'm not crazy about the personality of the host who always greets us. She can be rude sometimes and as the first face we see at the restaurant she should be way more friendly.
    I'm not too much of a sangria drinker but I've had it. It's good. Nothing to write home about.
    Overall they will always have my business because the dishes I get are that good!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/20/2013 Updated review
    4 check-ins

    After a long time away, I came back to Ba-Ba-Reeba recently and remembered how much I loved it.  This place has an amazing array of tapas and the bacon-wrapped dates are basically the best thing you can put in your mouth.

    In fact, I was about to ratchet my review up to five stars but...

    The place is always packed, which means reservations are a must, especially on weekends.  And that means your food can be strangely slow arriving to your table.  The patatas bravas (spicy potatoes) are out of this world... but why were they the last thing served?  They're the kind of thing you want as a side item, not as a dessert.

    Also, we showed up on a night when they were offering boar.  It was crazy delicious.  But... the waitress failed to notify us that those two small slices of boar cost $18.  WHAT?  That's more than double most of their normal dishes.  And I could've gotten an entire large pizza for that amount.  We wouldn't have ordered it if we'd known.

    Yes, Ba-Ba-Reeba has amazing and tasty delights.  But there are enough drawbacks to make it the kind of place you only visit twice a year, tops.

    4.0 star rating
    1/12/2008 Previous review
    Great food, and the place is always packed.  (Too packed for my taste, be prepared to wait forever… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    5/21/2014
    2 check-ins

    Bloody Mary bar rocks!!!  I have been here twice visiting Chicago.  My first time there... I left wanting more.  The food was just absolutely fantastic.  That visit was a year ago.  This time around I came in for brunch again.  And I was a little disappointed.  The food wasn't as incredible as the first time.  I heard that they change up the menu often.  I was not as impressed with the changes.  They also removed some items from the menu too.  I did however super enjoy my bloody mary.  Also, we had a 21 person group.  I am not sure if maybe the food was affected for that reason.  We originally made a reservation for 15 and increased it by 6 people last minute.  Somehow, they allowed it!  We didn't all sit together, but it's ok, we were still close to one another.  I also checked in on Yelp for a goody.  Four Square also has check-in specials... you can't combine though.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/26/2014
    3 check-ins

    Best Experience from walking in to walking out on a Wednesday evening beginning at 5 p.m and ending at 8 p.m. Had been there for awhile waiting for a friend but was happily seated by the friendlist and helpful hostest and ordered myself a recommendation of 'Blood Orange Sangria' after my waitress approached me so kindly. Feeling like I was sitting in Spain, during the summer time as it is freezing in Chicago, I enjoyed the ambiance of light chatter as people were coming in to dine and ordering their favorites from the menu.

    It doesn't take long to notice that this is a favorite restaurant in the cute area of Lincoln Park. It is huge too. I sat in the dining area, but of course there is a bar area and possibly a private room? My waitress knew the menu well, and was happy to share details on everything wile spending time with us as the otehr tables were also busy.

    You can't go wrong with the menu but you must order one of the paella's if you are a real foodie. But, of course, I always go with different meats when ordering tapas. My favorite was the short rib style, so tender. The sauces that came with everything had a taste that could last forever in your mouth.

    My friend and I both checked in on Yelp and got 2 dessert tapas, so many to choose from, and shared. Our waitress bought a complimentary 3rd one to the table, as she said the ones on our table were her 3 favorite. I wish I could remember her name so I could give her a shout out on here.

    Do make reservations, and do come in. I feel like this was a great environment for my girl friend and I. The prices were fantastic for everything we ordered. Especially the sangria's - completely worth it! And, I would definitely do a birthday dinner/bachelorette dinner here too.

    Lettuce Entertainment Restaurants are my favorite, and this makes it to the top of the list!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/20/2014
    2 check-ins
    Listed in Go-To Eats/Drinks

    I've been to a LOT of restaurants in Chicago and I hate to go to the same place twice because there are so many amazing places I want to try....but, I've been to Ba-Ba-Reeba three or four times in the last year and I plan to return again soon. I always make my friends from out of town go here. Hands down some of the best food (and sangria) I've ever had. I could list all of the items you MUST try, but this review would go on forever. The sangria is heavenly -- my favorites are peach and cava. They will do a flight of them so you can try multiples if you ask! That's how I discovered my favorites and now I waste no time in ordering a half-pitcher just for me....

    Make a reservation for weekends; it definitely gets busy. Parking isn't the best. I usually take a Lyft because I plan to drink a lot of sangria anyway.

    Go here. Take your friends. Order one of everything you can possibly force into your stomach. You won't be disappointed.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/18/2014

    These are my favorite tapas in the city. Make sure to go with a few people so you can try some of everything. Very Spanish feel to the place, and it's really big. The waiter was nice enough, but the service was probably my least favorite part of my experience. I had so many things that let me just give you some highlights of the menu. Starters: the chorizo wrapped dates were awesome. My favorite veggie was the spicy potato in tomato sauce. In seafood, I am a sucker for an empanada, so I loved the ones with scallops in it. The Spanish sausage was a great meat. We really overdid it because after all of that, we ordered paella. Smart idea because the valenciana was awesome. Bad idea because we over ate and the bill spiked. So if you go, either just an app or 2 with the paella or skip the paella and enjoy the menu.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/21/2015

    Absolutely love this place. I came here years ago for a friends engagement party and I got hooked. I order the same things every time I go since they are so delicious but have to try the paella which I heard is really good. The sangria is amazing and my gf and I drink couple pitchers every time we go. I love the bacon wrapped dates I ask for those last so they are kinda like a desert at the end of the meal

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/12/2015
    1 check-in

    Still not over how great the food and service was here. Order a ton of dishes--you won't regret it. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in town!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/10/2014
    1 check-in

    Tapas is becoming the new thing!! I heard it gets busy here so my boyfriend made reservations for us to come in on a Saturday night. We weren't too hungry to begin with so it was the perfect restaurant to come to where we can just order a bunch of small plates and try a little bit of everything. First off I would come here for their sangria alone!!! We ordered a pitcher of the white peach sangria and omg I was never a fan of sangria but this place changed my mind. They put actual pieces of peaches and apples so it tastes even more fruity and delicious. The ambience is very romantic, dim lighting and lit up lights on the ceiling, I loved it.

    The food we ordered - goat cheese croqueta - this was just okay. I wouldn't get it again, nothing special

    Deviled egg bacon and mustard - again nothing special. My bf said we had to try the bacon wrapped dates as an appetizer but we forgot to order it :( maybe that will be more satisfying than the appetizers I ordered

    The shrimp with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes - I think we coined this one as our favorite it was cooked perfectly, with just enough oil and garlic yum!!

    The braised short ribs with mashed potatoes - the short ribs were very soft and kind of just melted in my mouth. I'm a big mashed potatoes fan so I enjoyed this dish as well.

    Chicken with some type of vegetables - eh this was just okay, the chicken was a little dry but I liked the veggies :)

    There was also a lamb special that night, all the meat they have here is very tender and just melts in your mouth!!

    Our waiter was also very attentive and checked up on us very often, how could I not give this place five stars?! Good food good drinks and good company! Check in for free desserts also :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/9/2015

    This is my favorite restaurant in Chicago by far!!!!! Love the whole tapas thing, they have really good sangria, and spacy potatoes. Good thing they have valet parking because you will never find parking on that area, also made sure you made reservation or you will wait 1 hour. But this is a place to go especially during that summer!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/5/2014

    Awesome place and great food. Definitely gets busy, so have a reservation if it's a weekend. If you don't, check out the bar- it wraps around and we've been lucky more than once with a spot.

    Love the dates, bleu cheese sirloin and short ribs. Great group spot!

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/30/2014

    I loved Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba in my 20's.  In fact, I have never stopped loving it - until I went for lunch this past Saturday.  Bleh.
    The bloody mary bar is cute, I appreciated that.  All the food lacked.  It was sad and disappointing.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/13/2015

    I have been going here for years and went with my girlfriend last night. Ba-Ba-Reeba is a legit tapas spot; never earth-shattering but always good. The staff is friendly, the service is good, the environment is nice and the food is consistent.  Last night we had the beef empanadas, chorizo pinxos, a beet salad (special with blue cheese and grapefruit), the scallops, shrimp and the orange sangria.

    Good: the shrimp is always good, the empanadas were pretty good, the pinxos were the bomb. The Oranage sangria was good as is all of their sangria. The presentation is always good too.

    Not so good: The beet salad was boring, light on the blue cheese and the grapefruit just did not make any sense. I'm kinda snobby about my beets and won't be ordering that again. It was also very drafty where we were sitting. Except for the pinxos, nothing blew me away.

    All that said, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is consistently somewhere between good and very good. I have been there maybe 20 times in the last 10 years and never leave disappointed. I would recommend this place for those that like tapas.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/8/2015
    1 check-in

    Very good value for the money, unlike most tapas places. Food was very good. And tapas sizes were more like Midwestern sizes than Spanish sizes! I was there for a restaurant week special and everything was very tasty, but the tortilla espanola that was a bit dry.
    Deserts were also very good and the right size.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/22/2014
    2 check-ins

    The Spot for Tapas

    Upon entering Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba you are greeted by a very kind hostess. There appears to be plenty of seating around the bar, along with two sections of the dining room. Reservations can be made online or by calling. The wine list is quite extensive, and has several spanish wines to choose from. All of the dishes are quite good, and when ordering from the tapas section of the menu, the dishes arrive quite fast. With two people plan on ordering about 4-5 plates to split. The staff was extremely nice and attentive. I will be visiting this spot again for sure.

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/11/2015

    Average food with bad service. We went on a Wednesday when it wasn't super crowded and it still took 5-10 minutes before our sever came over to see us. We ordered a bottle of wine and every time he filled my glass he reached across me and nearly elbowed me in the face and just left his arm inches from my face - I'm not a wine-o but learn how to pour man! We ordered a shrimp dish and it came out severely undercooked, sent it back and they brought out a new one where one one or two shrimp were still pretty questionable. Overall I expected the food to be better and with subpar service I'm not sure I'll bother to go back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/21/2014 Updated review
    1 check-in

    This place is definitely still NUMERO UNO when it comes to tapas. Was here with the lovely girlfriend a couple of weeks back and made some delicious purchases off of both the regular and gluten-free menus. Our server was kind of enough to let us know that some items may not be entirely gluten-free as some of the ingredients do touch surfaces in which gluten is used for cooking. Aside from that, our service was phenomenal. Our water glasses were never left unfilled and the attentiveness of our server was unmatched.

    The food, oh good lord the food, top notch and very fulfilling to the palate. We ordered the following:

    -shrimp with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes
    -rioja-braised short ribs
    -meatballs with sherry tomato sauce
    -handmade beef empanada
    -beef skewers
    -bacon wrapped dates
    -moorish chicken
    -goat cheese baked in tomato sauce

    AMAZING. If you've never been there before, you definitely have to check this place out for some Spanish style eats. You will regret it if you don't.

    4.0 star rating
    2/14/2011 Previous review
    If it's one thing I love, it's tapas. Tapas = Cafe Ba-ba-Reeba. Hands down the best tapas place that… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    8/21/2014
    1 check-in

    My first time trying this place for brunch tapas and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My dining partner and I enjoyed the seasonal vegetable hash with a yummy poached egg and tarragon sauce, bacon mac'n'cheese, sausage fried paella, and the buttermilk waffle with banana. It was simply delicious even though some of the dishes lacked in a little seasoning. I also enjoyed a sangria with my brunch, which made it all the better. I would definitely suggest trying this place for brunch.

  • 2.0 star rating
    11/3/2014
    1 check-in

    Met some buddies here for Brunch.  Did not know they served brunch but decided to come here since they took reservations compared to some of the other poppin brunch places.

    Got here, was seated right away no problemo.

    Between the 6 of us, we ordered 10 brunch tapas including hash, waffles, rice, benedict and others.

    Two of us ordered hot tea but only got Hot water and the server kept telling us the tea bags were on the way but they never showed up so we had to finally remind the server again after waiting for 15 minutes.  But this was not even my issues with this place.

    We waited for a loooooong time for our first dish to come.  We finished it in  seconds and waited for the other dishes to come but they kept bringing just one dish at a time and  had to wait between 10 - 20 minutes in between each dish which was not the best way to be consuming tapas..... so frustrating since we ordered everything all at once and this ruined the whole tapas experience.

    The food itself tasted okay.  My favorite was the paella and the waffles.  Hash was a bit too greasy.  None of it was worth the very long wait for the food.

  • 2.0 star rating
    11/19/2014

    I'm never over the moon with Babareeba. It's pretty tasty, but it always takes forever to get the food and the servers don't ever seem to want you there. I've lived in LP for years and been here several times and each time the waitstaff has seemed pretty chilly.

    Also, and this is just a pet peeve of mine, but if the place is slow, like, say, on a Wednesday night, I think the server who took your order should be the one to bring your food. Not a totally different person with four other orders to run. What if there had been a mistake?

    If the service improved this would be one of the best restaurants in Chicago. But until then...

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/13/2013
    1 check-in

    A sanctuary of scrumptious Spanish small plates! We had a great time here catching up with friends while trying lots of new dishes, and some drinks as well. Given the atmosphere (and great wine selection), this is also a good destination for a romantic date.

    My first tip is to hold back on the bread basket and wait for the tapas to roll in - you'll find plenty of dishes with sauces to sop up. Save the bread for that.

    We started with the pinxtos platter, which is basically six different 'bites' and a good way to satisfy different tastes at the table (though you may all end up fighting over your favorite). We also ended up ordering about two tapas per person and skipping the paella since we wanted more flavor than 'filler' and I was quite happy with that decision.  Just the perfect amount of food.

    Hits: the stuffed mushrooms were incredible (and the creamy, cheesy, garlicky sauce is one of the best reasons to hold onto your bread bits). We also all LOVED the scallops a la plancha and - surprisingly - the Brussels sprout salad (even the guys scarfed that one up).

    No misses at all, but I'd recommend against what I think was called the market greens salad - mostly because it wasn't 'special' - you could totally make that at home or get it anywhere.

    Service was friendly, fast and knowledgeable. Our server recommended the Juan Gil red wine for me and I absolutely fell in love with it. The hostesses were also very helpful, and speaking of that - get a reservation or call-ahead!  The waitlist is often two hours long, but you can get your name in early; they start making their list at 6pm.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/28/2014
    2 check-ins

    I absolutely loved our experience here. We made reservations earlier in the week for a Friday seating at 6 p.m. Good thing we did because the place was fairly packed and busy the entire time we were there.

    We came to celebrate my recent promotion and it was the perfect spot - very fun atmosphere and ambiance. It was just my boyfriend and I but this would be great for a group.

    We got seated right away and ordered the blackberry sangria. We each had about three glasses and I thought it was well worth the price. For the two of us we ordered the following off the menu:
    -patatas bravas: amazing and flavorful. Not too spicy but stills packs a punch.
    - goat cheese in marinara sauce: a personal favorite. I love the combination between the two and with some toasted bread you can't go wrong.
    -dates wrapped in bacon: everyone talks about these and they are not to be missed. The savory sweet aspect is awesome.
    -beef short rib with potatoes and brussels sprouts: short rib was fork tender and melt in your mouth
    -scallop dish: broth is great and very fragrant.

    With both of us checking into Yelp, we each got a dessert tapas for free. We tried the chocolate truffle cake and chocolate crema. Perfect sizes and the chocolate was fairly rich.

    The bill was around $60, but we left full, satisfied, and in a sangria haze. Only recommendation would be to order 2 tapas at a time. Our 5 came out pretty fast and we were feeling a tiny bit overwhelmed with a table full of food!

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/30/2014
    1 check-in

    As a huge fan of tapas, I recommend this place for everyone. It has good ambience and service. Nice wine collection. We ordered patatas bravas and shrimp. Also deviled eggs. Will try more dishes here.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/31/2014

    Really enjoy this spot, we've been twice and have recommended to friends. Great tapas and excellent sangria. This trip we tried bacon wrapped dates, so delightful. We also had mango sangria that we loved and a smoked salmon and caper dish. I would skip the heirloom tomato salad, somewhat bland and very expensive for one tomato cut up with cucumber. Also tried a chocolate almond dessert, delicious and dense like a creamy fudge. Loved it!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/31/2015
    1 check-in

    Everything we had was really well made and tasty. Great environment. My only complaint is that the chicken and fish choices are pretty plain compare to the steak and pork.

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/7/2014
    1 check-in

    I came here for the first time last night with my best friend. I'll break my experience into three categories:

    Great-the hostesses, and waiters were all very accommodating. We arrived a little later than our reservation time. The waiter was good at listening to our requests and recommended the best dishes.

    I loved the food, from the spicy shrimp, to stuffed mushroom, chicken empanada and finally the chocolate truffle cake.

    Good- Our seating was pretty cramped, especially since we tend to order many plates at once. I wish we could've gotten a round table instead.

    Poor- Our bill was $80.67. We were splitting the tab, so we each gave our credit cards.
    Well today I discovered I was charged $80.67. I texted my best friend who confirmed she was ALSO charged $80.67. So I'm wondering since when does a restaurant charge double the check? My BFF called and spoke to a manager who apologized and gave some explanation about how their system always does that when you pay with a credit card but it should clear up n a couple of days.

    In my opinion, customers should be informed in advance because its a inconvenience to put a hold on someone's money. With so many national security breaches happening, you would think businesses would be conscious of how they handle their customers' money. It's really bad for building trust with your guests.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/31/2015

    Love this place!  Ordered a ton of tapas with a group of four for my Birthday and everything was AMAZING.  They spaced out the food so we were not overwhelmed but by the end I think our eyes were bigger than our stomachs.  We were full and the food we order kept on coming. So delicious.  Recommended for anyone in the area or traveling to the city.  Service was great even though the place was packed.  Free dessert for my Birthday...can't complain there!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    9/19/2014
    1 check-in

    I thought that this place had really really good food.

    Also lots of bachelorette parties going on, so plenty of stupid smiles and fake laughs to keep me entertained throughout the entire meal.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/5/2015

    My favorite tapas restaurant. I have been here mor times than I can count. The food is amazing and the plate prices are so reasonable you can continue ordering until the entire menus has been experienced. The dessert menu is well worth exploring and I strongly implore you to try the entire thing. Good luck and finish the food!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/27/2014
    1 check-in

    Moms love this place.

    Protip: Go during happy hour. There's happy hour daily from 4:00--6:00 in the bar, and they have actual high top tables to sit at, too, so you're not just sitting at the bar. There's a second late night happy hour, too. (10:00--midnight).

    Every time I've ever done the happy hour, I had to specifically ask for the happy hour menu. I feel like some of the staff have tried to keep it a secret.

    The happy hour menu is not as exhaustive as the regular menu, but you can get a bunch of the classics (pinxtos, most potato/chicken/veggie tapas) for $1 and $3 respectively, which is like half the price of the regular menu. And you can always order what's not on the happy hour menu for full price. Smart way to do tapas without spending too much! Also, check in on Foursquare and Yelp for free stuff!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/4/2013
    1 check-in

    I've been wanting to go here for a while but it's a bit out of the way (purple line to red line to brown line) so it wasn't until yesterday that I finally made it out with a friend (and fellow food fanatic).

    Ordered:

    - 2 servings of paella valenciana (basically paella with a shitload of pork): don't eat this if you're dieting, don't like meat, or are scared of grease. It was delicious and flavors were extremely rich and fatty, but it was literally swimming in grease and there was complete meat overload. Best paella I've had taste-wise, but left me feeling extremely thirsty and a bit guilty afterwards.

    - chilled seafood salad with shrimp, scallops, and calamari: Yum! I love seafood and I love citrus, so this was a great dish for me. Came with a decently generous portion of seafood, and the citrus marinade was great as well.

    - shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes: pretty good. Flavors were solid but nothing extraordinary (tasted kinda like shrimp with butter and garlic).

    - Fried calamari: Typical calamari.

    - mini caramel almond tart: absolutely heavenly. Extremely thick, caramel-y goodness. Not for those who can't handle really sweet things.

    Meal comes with free bread, and I was able to avoid stuffing myself with bread. BUT I did try a couple bites and it had a subtle, tangy flavor that I really liked. Friend also ordered the peach sangria. Tried a sip and it was good - didn't taste overwhelmingly of alcohol. She also ordered the caramelized banana for dessert and it was great as well.

    Biggest complaint is the pricing. Spent almost $40 per person, and although the food was good, I wouldn't say it was worth that price.

    Tip: check in for a free dessert tapa!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/29/2015

    Excellent!  We probably tried 10 dishes among the three of us, and everything was great.  Definitely going back.  :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/22/2015
    2 check-ins

    This place was phenomenal my friend introduced me to tapas and I am now a beleiver they have so much to choose from spicy garlic shrimp was delicious. Spicy potatoes were amazing. Goat cheese is to die for. Morrocan with spiced chicken was ok. The flank steak was awesome soft and delightful service was fantastic couldn't even get to the bottom of my glass of water without somebody filling my glass.. No complaints

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/12/2015
    1 check-in

    Ask me about the music they played or the table cloth they had and I won't have a clue. But if you ask me about the food, I could go on a spree about how great the food is! Everything that I have tried here from spicy potatoes to paella has been great!!! The cherry on the cake is that after all the food, the cheque still doesnt burn a hole in your pocket. Definitely coming back!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/2/2014 Updated review
    3 check-ins

    Papaya was too hard and salty. Scollop was good. Bacon and dates was good but a bit salty. Octopus was my favorite.

    4.0 star rating
    3/18/2014 Previous review
    Good food - shrimp, scallop, octopus, chicket pie, reasonable price,
  • 5.0 star rating
    12/27/2014

    I wasnt really a tapas guy, that was until i came here.  

    The service is totally awesome, the place just looks cool. Good lights tons of exposed brick.

    You cant go wrong with anything. My favorite? The filet medallions with cheese. Awesomeeeee.

    Sangria too. Go for it

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/11/2015

    Pretty pretty tasty. I'm a veggie and didn't expect so many options. Nice wine selection too!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/20/2015

    Best Tapas restaurant you can ever possibly go to. The workers are super friendly and are great at recommendations of foods. The portions are great for a couple or a big party. The environment is extremely calm and friendly. I enjoy it. Sangrias are amazing and so is the food. You'll keep going back. Believe it.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/20/2015

    My favorite tapas restaurant in Chicago! The grilled calamari and stuffed dates are delicious!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/19/2015

    Nice place for a brunch on sunday. Original idea to make yourself your bloody mary. The tapas were good and enough big to not go back with an empty stomac.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/3/2015

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba not only has amazing food, delicious sangrias, but also (perhaps most importantly) awesome staff!! First, let me begin with a bit of background...I threw a bachelorette party for my best friend, and our limo was supposed to pick us up at 5pm and get us to the restaurant by 6pm. Our limo was 2 hrs late picking us up and then took twice as long to get to the restaurant because he didn't know what he was doing. Some of the girls suspected the driver was drunk, hungover, or on something. I had to call the restaurant numerous times to push back our reservations. We had 11 people in our group. Every time I called them, they were extraordinarily accommodating! They understood our situation, and while they couldn't guarantee that we'd be seated right away when we arrived, they were doing everything they could to clear tables for us. When we finally got there, we didn't actually have time to sit down and eat because we had other reservations at a show, but even though they were completely packed (I think they had two rehearsal dinner groups), they rushed our takeout order and gave us sangrias while we waited. They saved our evening because we could make it to the main event of the evening with full bellies.

    Service: impeccable.
    Food: mouthwatering and reasonably priced!
    Sangrias: to die for.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/5/2014

    Delicious tapas, great service, and reasonable price too.

    We ordered the garlic potato salad, octopus, goat cheese, and garlic shrimp. The garlic shrimp was amazing, a little spicy just to my taste.

    Our waiter was very friendly and brought us two free desserts with our Yelp check-ins. The restaurant looked trendy and up to date. Good for a date or night out with your friends.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/25/2014

    Probably my favorite restaurant in Chicago. It can get loud and crowded at peak times, but it's pretty easy to get a reservation online a few days in advance. If you have a small group, it's also nice to wait in the bar area and sip sangria as you wait for your table.

    Great date or large group spot too! My girlfriend and I are vegetarian and we can always try something new and come up with a new combination of small plates. If you leave without drinking one of the sangria or eating the patatas bravas, you're doing it wrong. The paella is delicious too, but there's lots of it so if you go that route don't fill up on tapas! I'm already looking forward to my next visit. Don't miss it.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/15/2014
    1 check-in

    Absolutely love this place.  I'm from Chicago but just moved out to SF and when I hear that someone is going to visit Chicago, I always recommend Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  The atmosphere is fun with the laid-back tapas style and very cutely decorated.  The menu has something that everyone will love and the prices are great too.

    You'll feel full after just a few shared plates and can get a pitcher of delicious, not too sweet sangria.  Great place for almost any occasion -- when I went there was a bachelorette party in the corner, a family at the next table, and a date going on right behind us.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/2/2014
    1 check-in

    We went for brunch on Labor Day and here are some of the highlights:
    Spicy Potatoes
    Bacon wrapped dates
    Pork Belly (skewered)
    Deviled eggs
    Beef with blue cheese

    Didn't try the table's mac n cheese, pancakes, chicken on a stick (deep fried), goat cheese w/bread, nor the paella/rice dish but the goat cheese was the group favorite among those. The calamari was good, but I would probably try the scallops in place of it next time. The spicy potatoes came with a delicious sherry aioli and a tomato aioli. I would have eaten the aioli with a spoon rather than let it go to waste b/c it was so good, but I was too full. Onto Dessert!

    We used the free dessert via our yelp check in (awesome) and ordered:
    Mango sorbet
    Berry Tart
    Butterscotch Custard
    Banana w/caramel and pistachios
    Chocolate Kahlua cake

    They were all phenomenal. I would get the Butterscotch Custard again b/c it had caramel and I'm a sucker for the two combined. Ryan was our server, very knowledgeable and friendly. Food came out fast and well paced. Reasonably priced for our big group (7). Highly recommended!

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/6/2014
    1 check-in

    I came here for dinner on a Thursday evening with a group of friends and yes it was packed..

    Food - I wasn't too impressed with the food.  I didn't think the prices matched up with the food.  If you want to order something, I would recommend the Paellas--portions are big and it is good...They use goat cheese for a lot of their dishes and I guess I'm not a fan of goat cheese..

    Atmosphere - very dim lighting---AND it is pretty tight/squished--i had to take a tour around some tables just to get to my table..I think we need more space in between the tables.

    Customer service - waiter was friendly, but I think it took awhile for the food to come out....

    Washrooms --why does it feel like I just stepped outside to use the restroom?  It's freezing in the washroom and also very dim in there....brr.. I definitely don't like walking into and sitting on cold toilets especially in this cold Chicago weather!

    Sangrias - I would say the sangrias were good..

    Dessert - very sweet --eh..

    Parking - street parking and valet parking is available--you'll need to pay for both.  Expect to pay for up to 3 hrs of parking if you come here with a group...

  • 2.0 star rating
    11/9/2014
    1 check-in

    I know people rave about this place, but I'm not sure why. The food was ok, but nothing outstanding and I wasn't wowed by anything on the menu. The sangria was good, but I thought could've been stronger and was hoping it would live up more the hype.

    Here's what my boyfriend and I ordered:
    1. Deviled egg pintxos: Meh. Wasn't great. I think I make better deviled eggs, but I appreciated the attempt on a Spanish twist.
    2. Rioja braised short rib: description sounded incredible. The meat was tough and just not great. I don't think we finished the dish
    3. Brussel sprout salad: Good salad. Probably the only thing I enjoyed.

    I wish we would've tried the patatas as it's the one thing that everyone on yelp seems to enjoy.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/21/2014

    This is one of my favorite places to go for a group dinner!  It is fun to share all of the different small plates and the sangria is great!  

    Some of my favorite tapas are the patatas bravas, bacon wrapped dates, and goat cheese (without the bread for me!).

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/29/2014
    1 check-in

    Tried this place for the 1st time today and it was AMAZING! So sad I have to leave back to California in a week, I had the papas bravas with the paella & chicken kabob and it was delicious !!! The atmosphere is great and our server Marilyn was so sweet! Will definitely be back when I visit again :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/15/2015

    Delicious food and a great staff. The atmosphere is absolutely wonderful. Definitely go and have the bacon-wrapped date!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/4/2014 Updated review

    I'm almost hesitant to write this review, because their brunch is literally so good I want to keep it all to myself.

    As far as bloodies go, this place is a 10. There's a bloody mary bar with everything you could ever want in a bloody. Peppar Vodka? yep. Three different kinds of tomato juice? yep. Bacon? yep. Shrimp? sure, why not. You literally can't go wrong when you can make it exactly how you like it, just make sure you leave room for everything they have to add to it.

    As far as the food, it's ba ba reeba, so you know it's got to be good. They have classic brunch options, items from their regular menu, and breakfast pinxtos for those who can't make up their mind. My favorite has to be the french toast, which is saying a lot because usually I'm not a fan.

    Another perk, this place is so big, the wait usually isn't too bad... but if it gets worse after posting this review, I'm definitely going to delete it.

    Totally kidding. And totally worth checking out for brunch.

    5.0 star rating
    1/8/2013 Previous review
    If you're looking for a fun place to go on a date or with some girlfriends, cafe ba-ba-reeba is the… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    8/7/2014

    I love Cafe Ba Ba Reeba! There's something about the ambiance and the food combined that really make for a fun evening. I have been several times but I'll review my most recent visit.

    I was taking a friend out to dinner as a thank you and we ordered the following:

    Sangria (I believe it was the raspberry flavor) - Excellent!

    Ham and Melon - Very good! Ham was a little salty but overall a good portion size.

    Braised Pork w/Manchego Mashed Potatoes - Excellent! Mashed potatoes were to die for, pork was really tender. Only two pieces of pork but very delicious!

    Goat Cheese w/bread - Very good! Solid choice. Comes with marinara sauce.

    Bacon wrapped dates - This is why I come to this restaurant. I could eat two servings by myself and be completely fine. YOU HAVE TO GET THESE!

    Caramelized Banana for dessert - Very good! Would have liked a little bit more but these are only $3 so just order two if you want more.

    My only disappointment this last time around was they took the goat cheese croquetas off the menu. Please bring them back!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/25/2014

    I took a date here recently and we had a lot of fun. The atmosphere and food was great. The portions were sized just right and the flavor of the plates were pretty good. My date enjoyed her cocktails and there was a nice selection of beer for us to enjoy in addition to the desert.

    Parking isn't easy around the restaurant during peak times but they do have valet parking for about 12 bucks.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/11/2014

    I once came here for dinner on Friday and again for brunch the following Sunday, so clearly I'm in love with CBBR. I have tried pretty much everything on the menu and have never been diasppointed. My personal faves: patatas bravas (of course), bacon wrapped dates, brussel sprout salad, the short rib, and all of the paellas. Seriously though, the paella is amazing and it is well worth the wait.

    This place gets super crowded because it's delicious, the sangria is awesome (and on tap), and the atmosphere is really laid back. If you don't have a reservation you should expect to wait. Also, this is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant so if you're expecting a cheap meal then you're going to be disappointed. That being said, the prices are reasonable for the quality of the food that you're served.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/26/2014

    Tapas. They're pretty darn good here.

    We went on Sunday, and this is what we (table of 3) ordered:

    1/2 pitcher of White Peach Sangria

    Tapas:
    Bacon Mac n' Cheese
    Fried Calamari with Tomato Crudo and Jalapeno Aloli
    Roasted Chicken Empanada

    Desserts:
    Butterscotch Custard
    Summer Berry Tart

    The Mac n' Cheese was alright, and I really liked the Chicken Empanada. I absolutely LOVED the Calamari.

    Out of the two desserts, my favorite was definitely the Butterscotch Custard.. also because I'm a sucker for butterscotch and caramel.

    Would definitely recommend my friends to come here. :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/17/2014
    1 check-in

    Happy hour tapas for $3! and $1 for Pintxos and $6 for glass of red Sangria. Everything was delicious I liked their chicken empanada, deviled bacon mustard eggs and garlic potato salad. It was fun get to get out eat something on the cheap and have a glass of sangria with my hubby it was a fun date night.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/16/2014

    Awesome place for tapas and sangria! Their bacon wrapped dates are my favorite and they have tons of flavors for their sangria!

    Great date place as well

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/28/2015

    An ols favorite! Love the ambience and the amazing tapas. The patata bravas and peppers are our favorites.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/21/2015

    So awesome for large parties. Had a blast.

  • 1.0 star rating
    6/21/2015

    Went here for brunch. We were seated in the bar. 6 people at a 4 person bar table. Not ideal, considering tapas serves many plates on one table. However, it was all they had so we decided to make due. We didn't have a "real" server, we had the bartender, who seemed less than enthused that he actually had to leave his post behind the bar to serve us. The service was absolutely horrible. It took forever to get our drinks and the bartender also seemed irritated that a few people ordered coffee. (Imagine that, people drink coffee for brunch?!) I know, we aren't all pounding non-stop pitchers of sangria, crazy right? Anyway, after getting the drinks, we sat for another eternity to finally order. Drinks were empty. All the while, the bartender had an entire 3 people sitting at the bar top. Oh, he was washing glasses too. I know that's important. Anyway, we continued to bother a different server for refills on our drinks. He seemed less than amused to help us, but still nice enough to oblige. Food finally arrived and was pretty decent, but not up to the standard that I had been served here 3-4 times in the past. Bacon wrapped dates were burnt and a our French toast was brought out, placed on the bar, left for 10 minutes, then retrieved and served to us as if it had not been sitting around misplaced for 10-15 minutes. Is a restaurant service position really this difficult? Ultimately, this place has really taken a dive. The bathroom was also a mess and disgusting. Terrible service on a moderately busy Sunday. Definitely will not be back. Don't waste your time.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/11/2014

    I'm not even sure where to start describing my experience at the place, from the moment I walked in-I was in complete awe.
    The service was on point from the hosts at the front, the bussers, and most especially out server-Sophia. She was so kind, patient, and attentive to my group.
    We ordered about 15 different dishes, and I honestly am having a very hard time picking a favorite. The lamb kebab, tomato aoli potatoes, and sausage skewers are still leaving me longing for another visit. The portions are good for about two people to share one order, though we got multiples of each because we couldn't resist.
    The drinks are also on par, we kept it simple with white peach sangria-it hit the spot. :).
    The dessert tapas are also a great finish!

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/20/2015
    1 check-in

    I've been here a couple times and it is very hit-or-miss.  The first time I was here I remember being a bit impressed, but the last time left something to be desired.  I don't know if my standards have gone up or I caught them on an off day.

    While the brunch menu is extensive, the food quality is a bit meh.  I would say the best part of the brunch would be the Bloody Mary bar, which is a good value and has all of the standards you would expect.

    I do recommend the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, but stay away from the shrimp and grits; it's not at all what you think it's gonna be. Also, the chicken and waffle stick is more like a chicken sausage corn dog; again not what one would expect from reading the name of it on the menu.

    There is good value here, as 4 can do brunch, get 10 plates, and all run the Bloody Mary bar for about $150 total including tip, but nothing is going to floor you, though the spicy potatoes with tomato aioli would be another one of the better items.

    If you do show up, bring your appetite as the portion sizes are for the most part generous for what you pay.  Again, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! isn't bad, but it isn't great and doesn't seem to have the couple of standout dishes you can typically expect from places in the city.

    Overall, this place is a decent value, but will most likely leave you a bit disappointed if you've ever been to one of the better tapas places like Cafe Iberico.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/10/2015

    This place was awesome!  The staff was great, and the food was some of the best I've had.  Not to mention the Sangria was awesome as well!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/22/2015

    Excellent spanish cuisine, true to the art! We came on a Sunday night and it was packed, just goes to show how good the place is. We had the octopus, bellota ham, steak and blue cheese, patatas bravas, pork-wrapped dates, and all were delicious. Never bland, or uninteresting, but with a good zing and just the right amount of spice. We also had a pitcher of the seasonal sangria and it was quite refreshing, not too sweet and, again, not run-of-the-mill. Highly recommended.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/2/2014
    2 check-ins

    I'd never been here before tonight but it had been recommended by friends many times.  My boyfriend and I went there for dinner and had the apple cider sangria, garlic potato salad, the short rib and the chicken paella.  Not only was the food fantastic, but the service was out of this world.  Josh A. went above and beyond to make our experience top notch giving opinions on options when we asked.

    I can't wait to go back with family and friends from out of town.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/30/2015

    Great food options. Make sure to make a reservation! They can be very busy during the week, especially during the weekend. Some time the place can Beverly cold if by the windows but usually if you don't make a reservation they will plop you there. Really continue to hit this place often

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/24/2014
    4 check-ins

    Bacon wrapped dates, ham and chicken croquettes and blackberry sangria is all I need in life. Ba Ba Reeba never seems to disappoint!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    6/26/2015

    Love this restaurant so much! Great food and the best sangria! My only reason for not putting 5 stars is that our server Velibor was staring at our table and shaking his head clearly annoyed we were finishing our second pitcher of sangria and chatting. Advice for the future-if a couple of girls are sitting and drinking and chatting just ask us if we'd be open to move to the bar-we would have much rather sat at a table at the bar and kept drinking than have our server glaring at us. That's my only complaint-otherwise I love this place & will be back for more bacon wrapped dates :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/29/2015

    Not adding anything new or insightful with this review

    Simply great food. And their bacon wrapped dates. I could eat four plates of that alone.

    That's it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/8/2015
    1 check-in

    I love this place.  Any of the sangrias are great but I especially like the peach.  The staff is friendly and helpful, prices are reasonable, and everything tastes amazing.  It can get pretty noisy during peak times but the food and drink make it worth it.  However, if you don't have a reservation during that time, don't even try to go.  The wait for those without a reservation on the weekend is always forever so do yourself a favor and hit up Open Table first!  This place is also great for large groups.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/1/2013
    1 check-in

    One of my favorite spots for tapas! I've been here too many times to count and they  never disappoint.  Some advantages that they have over other popular tapas places is that they're great for groups, reservations are easy to make, and they're moderately priced.  

    Some of my favorites:
    SCALLOPS! Very good here.
    Short ribs with mashed potatoes
    Endive and blue cheese salad
    Goat cheese with tomato sauce
    Paella with pork

    They have a Bloody Mary bar for Sunday brunch and some great brunch items.  If it's your birthday, make sure you get your free birthday treat!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/12/2015
    1 check-in

    Following the 90 minute wait for a table, the service was excellent, the Tapas were fantastic, margarita is especially good but the price was a little high, we did have a fantastic time. Make sure you check in before ordering desert!

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/8/2014
    1 check-in

    Visiting a friend in Chicago, we decided to try this place out as it's been recommended by many others.

    We made a reservation (recommended) and didn't have to wait at all once we got there.

    Between the three of us, we ordered an assortment of tapas dishes.

    Some of my favorites were the smoked salmon, the goat cheese, the chicken and chorizo skewers, and the pork belly skewers.

    We also got a few dessert tapas which really topped off the meal (mini ice cream sandwiches and caramelized bananas).

    Also- their sangria was great!

    Was relatively inexpensive (about $100 for 3 of us). The decor was nice and cozy. Wasn't too loud and the staff was very friendly and helpful.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/8/2014

    They do have happy hour from 4-6pm for those on a budget! Pintxos are $1 and selected tapas are $3 each.  Overall it was a hip place to be and if you enjoy variety and don't mind spending the money, this is your place!  They have great service and great drinks. We got the mango sangria and it was delicious!

    What we tried:
    Laughing bird shrimp with pork lardo: looks raw, and the taste was okay. I probably wouldn't order it again
    Seared piquillo with roncal cheese: basically you are eating a pepper (that is not spicy) if you are into that
    Deviled egg: Love deviled eggs and this one was a good one
    Spinach and manchego-stuffed mushrooms: YUM a must try if you are a mushroo

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/9/2014
    2 check-ins

    I've been here many times throughout the past few years and have always had a good dining experience.  Tapas and sangria are what shine here, so plan on spending at least an hour here and ordering to share!   I've gone with and without reservations, and have never had to wait long for a table to open up.  There is a really nice bar area, so it's nice to sit there and have a drink before being seated.

    All the sangrias are great.  I recommend asking what their sangria of the day is before ordering, and when you do order, get a pitcher of sangria for the table to share (because you will want seconds).

    My favorite tapas are the roasted bacon-wrapped dates in an apple vinaigrette, spiced lamb kabobs with lemon, mint and tomato, and the shaved brussels sprout salad with almonds and manchego cheese.  They do have a GLUTEN FREE menu if you ask!

    Whether your on a date, out with friends, or want a nice place to take family, I recommend Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/3/2015
    1 check-in

    So good. Each dish is only a couple bites so you can sample a plethora of different items.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/29/2013
    1 check-in
    Listed in Chicago!!

    Hmmmm, I found the food strangely average during my dinner here. Maybe an off night? Everything was good, but for some reason the place doesn't stand out among the restaurants I visited while in Chicago for a long weekend (though I ate some amaaaazing food that weekend so perhaps my standards were a bit high). And I love tapas, so not sure what went wrong!

    My friend and I stopped in for dinner on Halloween night, and the place was energetic but not packed. Good service, nice ambiance. We ordered the roast dates, calamari, goat cheese in tomato sauce, spicy potatoes, and a chicken empanada. Again, all good but not amazing...though now that I think about it, we weren't too creative with our ordering. If I came back, I might branch out a little more and then perhaps I'd be a bit more impressed.

    The dishes were larger than tapas normally are, so we actually took a fair amount to go! Prices are standard, for tapas, so no complaints there.

    Overall good night, though this probably won't be on the top of my list when I return to Chi-town!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/20/2015

    Really great place! Fun and lively atmosphere and delicious food! So many options for vegetarians! The spicy potatoes, stuffed mushrooms and the goat cheese are a must. My meat eating siblings also loved their food. Will definitely be be back! Only con was the passion fruit sangria. Too much ice/watered down :/

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/29/2015
    2 check-ins

    Great service.. Great food. One of the best spaish tapa spots in chicago. Once you start eating you really cant stop. The decoration is nice too

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/30/2013
    3 check-ins

    Recently dined at Ba-Ba-Reeba during a visit to Chicago and was blown away. My dining companions and I ate at the bar, which had great service.

    We enjoyed the bacon-wrapped shrimp, goat cheese croqueta with lemon gastrique, roasted beet crostini with herbed goat cheese and hazelnuts, spinach and manchego stuffed mushrooms, fried green peppers & coarse salt, seared bay scallops, and serrano ham plate as well as two pitchers of sangria -- passion fruit and white peach. This was plenty of food for the three of us and our ticket before tip was only $100. I thought the amount of food for the price was a great deal.

    My favorite dishes were the two goat cheese options and the scallops, which were cooked perfectly, but everything was really wonderful. Nice size portions and everything came out very quickly. We ordered our food in phases -- 2 or 3 items at a time -- and the service was incredibly prompt.

    Highly, highly recommend.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/6/2015
    1 check-in

    Love this place.Try the sangrias, they're amazing!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/6/2015

    Delicious bar food. Matt, the tall bartender, was the best!!

  • 1.0 star rating
    6/18/2015
    1 check-in

    What a waste of a Sunday....My wife and I came here because of all the hype on Yelp about this place, I'm not even gonna make this a long one. We walked in and the host asks us the usual and tells us we will receive a text to be seated and directs us to the bar to wait in the most aloof manner. The drinks were alright but nothing to write home about, at least I had the time to work up a light hunger buzz to heighten the experience to come. Finally I get the text and we are seated at the coldest table I've ever experienced in my entire life, they might as well have put our table in the meat cooler. I mentioned it to the waitress that sported a very well trained and rehearsed tone with which she assured us she would take care of it and "ask them to turn it down", yeah ok like each table has individual temperature settings, never mind changing tables, whatever. We ordered what we thought was appropriate coming from reviews and their most popular items, and let me tell you they are not my kind of popular. Out of everything we ordered the potatoes and the bread (house bread, which came 30 min into the meal) are what really stood out. The Paella Valenciana was bland, super al-dente, the meat had a very unpleasant spice to it and did not live up to the hype period. I left it almost intact and so did my wife. The rest: mushrooms, dates/bacon, calamari don't even deserve a description. The waitress never picked up on the most obvious of unsatisfactory cues like an untouched plate btw. Or maybe she knew what we were going through and didn't want to pour salt on the wound. Anyway we overpaid and left with that ugh! feeling that couldn't be satisfied with anything other than going back in time and finding another place. I WILL NEVER GO BACK HERE AGAIN! Not even if there were a zombie apocalypse and I knew the doors were open, I would rather be eaten alive.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/27/2015
    1 check-in

    Really great food, amazing service, super cute dining room. Not bad pricing for a Spanish restaurant in the U.S. Definitely going back!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/9/2014
    1 check-in

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is always a great place to bring people who are visiting the city. Fantastic atmosphere, delicious sangria (we got the red, but I am sure the fruity ones are equally delicious), and a smorgasbord of great tapas to please everyone's tastebuds. I went with a group of six people, so we were able to try many different items. I loved the bacon-wrapped dates, the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, and the spinach-manchego stuffed mushrooms. The endive salad and the brussel sprout salad were a nice, light choice to balance the heavier dishes.

    We also checked in on Yelp and got free dessert tapas. The gala apple empanada was warm and sweet -- perfect for a snowy, winter evening.

    Our server was great -- he provided helpful recommendations and was patient with our indecisive group.

    Overally, yay! I'm a fan :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/25/2014

    Had some amazing, very fresh tapas here.  They take reservations, and get quite busy, so you are best off calling ahead.

    The bread was also quite delicious.  We especially liked the squid and octopus.

    Great food, great service, great prices!  I will definitely be back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/27/2014
    3 check-ins

    Tapas, Tapas, Tapas,Tapas ROCKIN EVERYWHERE!!!!!!! I found you miss new foodie!!!!!!!!

    My gf and I took her mom out for her birthday here, and It was pretty damn great. We warmed up with the deviled eggs and they were on point. We always get the queso de cabra when we go out, it's the law, that was baller. You have to get the spicy potatoes. The ibarico pork steak is the business and we finished off with the paella valenciana. The paella was cooked to perfection, with just enough little crispy rice to put all other paellas to shame.

    My gf and I ordered a pitcher of their mango sangria, and her mom had the blueberry patch. Drinks hit the spot and the blueberry patch is a new favorite. I would just come here for drinks, but you can't step foot in here and not eat food. I believe that's a sin in the bible or somewhere.

    Amazing, Amazing, Amazing!!!!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/15/2015

    This is a great tapas experience!  I went with my wife right after Christmas and we are already making return plans.  Make a reservation as it does seem quite popular.  The service and seating was friendly and the bar has some good wine and drinks while you wait.  Server made good recommendations upon our request and we were pleasantly surprised with the taste of everything we ordered.   The goat cheese in tomato sauce may have been my favorite but the potato aioli was also a top fav.  If you do not prefer sharing get paiya... Dp?  Prices are actually really good for a Chicago restaurant.  Good atmosphere and great for a date night!

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/27/2014
    1 check-in

    Went here for a date.

    Sangria - always a good start.

    Food and service for a Sunday night - ok.
    Our free bread came out burnt. Told our server, Russ, he informed us that the bread was suppose to be crusty and burnt like that. Took our discarded burnt bread pieces and didn't return with a new bread until the bus boy asked us. Guess what? The new bread wasn't burnt and actually good. I understand it was busy, but you don't have to make excuses. Just look at the food and make a judgement call.

    We also got the goat cheese and tomato sauce (garlic bread with tomato sauce), stuff mushrooms, scallop and octopus.

    Goat cheese & scallop was good. Stuff mushrooms was the best dish. The octopus was burnt and bitter (returned it).

    Overall an ok experience.

    The highlight: my date for treating me out.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/20/2014

    I have developed a long distance love affair with this place... wasn't quite sure what to expect because I've had some mediocre tapas in the past. Our waiter was enthusiastic and friendly, and extremely helpful in answering our questions.

    Some highlights:
    - seafood paella. You must order a minimum of 2 servings. We ordered 4 servings but had trouble finishing amongst our group of 7.
    - seared scallops. Baby scallops are used but they are cooked perfectly
    - bacon wrapped dates. I have avoided dates since the dawn of time but this classic dish is the perfect marriage of sweet and savory.
    - braised short rib with mashed potatoes and veggie of the day. Meat is tender and juicy, rips right apart.
    - spicy potatoes. I do love my potatoes and the spicy sauce is to die for.

    The meh:
    - Sangria. Tastes more like Franzia and the fruit isn't left in the wine so the flavor doesn't absorb as well
    - Calamari. Just so-so, wasn't anything worth raving about

    All in all, this was such a delicious meal and I always enjoy the concept of shared dining + small plates to enjoy a wide variety of food. Atmosphere is lovely - roomy but still cozy and very romantic lighting.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/8/2014
    1 check-in

    Great tasting family dinner. Lots of delicious options for adults and kids alike.
    Delish food, fun ambiance and good service.
    A must visit.

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/1/2014
    1 check-in

    The atmosphere/service: I love the design and decor.  I'm looking forwarded to trying it during the summer time with the roof open.  The service was alright.  The hostess seemed annoyed that two people would dare walk into the restaurant on a decently busy Sunday evening.  She just had us move to the side, without any instruction, so we waited awkwardly.  Our friendly waiter made up for the initial attitude we received.

    The food:  We came unknowingly during restaurant week.  This is one of the few restaurant week venues that is worth it.  I indulged in the short-rib stuffed piquillo pepper for my pintxos, the citrus -cured salmon tapas, the seafood paella, and the carmelized bananas.  Everything except the paella was up to par and I truly enjoyed it.  The seafood paella was just okay.  It was over-cooked and overly salty, so I was chugging water.  The seafood was plentiful, but that was it's only redeeming quality.  I much prefer Cafe Iberico's paella more.  I would like to try the other tapas to get a better gage of the caliber of food.

    Yelp and FourSquare both have check-in perks, so take advantage!

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/26/2014
    1 check-in

    We had to wait for a long time to be seated even though the place wasn't busy AND we had a reservation. Additionally we were seated after people that got there after us. They just kept saying the table was being cleaned.

    Once we were seated the service was pretty slow. We ordered raspberry sangria for drinks and overall it was ok but it felt very watered down.

    We had 6 tapas, from which the highlight was the flank steak and I felt really let down by the patatas bravas. In general the food was a bit salty and on the bland side, not a lot of the Spanish flavors was hoping for.

    Desserts were also ok, the caramelized banana was very good but I will avoid the flan if I ever come back.

    Overall, not very authentic, ok food, definitely not great.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/12/2015

    First of all, if you don't have a reservation you will have to wait... Awhile! It's worth the wait but I suggest planing ahead!  The sangria is out of this world and the food is delicious.  The goat cheese and marinara is amazing as well as spicy potatoes.  And #54!! It's great for groups IF you have reservations!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/11/2015

    MY ALL TIME FAV RESTAURANT IN CHICAGO!!!! I HAVE TO GO HERE AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH IF NOT MORE!!!
    My husband is sick of me recommending this place to everyone but the atmosphere and the small portions always make it a fun enjoyable night.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/26/2014

    Great food, super atmosphere, reasonable price... probably the best Tapas in the city.  We love the variety and there's plenty of choices even though we're not meat-eaters.  The Brussel Sprout Salad should not be missed and then there's the Shrimp with Garlic that's the one that keeps us coming back to this little gem.  Sometimes the wait staff can be a little pushy trying to turn their tables, but that's the only nick on this place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/29/2015

    Fun atmosphere and great sangria. Tapas can get expensive, but the prices here weren't bad for the quality of food. I love the mushroom toasts and all of the aioli, along with basically everything else I tried.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/19/2015

    One of my favorite spots in city! The food is always on point. I haven't been disappointed every time I go. For a while I would make time to stop by every time I was in city. They have some of the best sangria. Their bacon wrapped dates are a must. I love the shrimp they serve too. With at least 3 tapas and sangria you should be good. Oh yea ! Don't forget to try the potatoes

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/12/2015
    1 check-in

    Best food I have ever eaten, hands down. Very unique atmosphere and many options of Sangria

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/20/2014
    1 check-in

    This place is HUGE! Despite the size, the wait can be quite long, so I suggest making a reservation. We came in on a Saturday night around 9 and were told a 1.5 hour wait, but luckily it only turned out to be 45 minutes.

    Like the restaurant, the menu is also huge, so there's really something for everyone. We started out with a half pitcher of the classic red sangria. Pretty good deal for $15 considering the two of us each got about 2 glasses full out of it. Fresh baked bread was also quickly brought out, and I couldn't help but stuff my face with it even though I knew we had many dishes on the way. It was just so crusty and delicious I couldn't pass it up! Our food came out at a good pace, and I was so stuffed by the time I left! We ordered the spicy potatoes, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, braised short rib, grilled octopus, grilled iberico pork and the hand carved iberico. Out of all of these, the only one I probably wouldn't order again is the short rib. It was decent, but compared to everything else we ordered, it just didn't stand out. It's really hard for me to pick my favorite dish because it was all so good!

    On top of the great flavors, the prices were very reasonable. I'll definitely be back since there's so many more dishes I need to try. And next time, I'll be sure to make a reservation!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/10/2014
    1 check-in

    This is by far my favorite tapas place.  My favorite restaurant in general.

    Cafe Ba Ba Reeba has an AMAZING menu. The spicy potatoes and chicken and ham croquetas leave me speechless!! Never go without having them along with half the rest of the menu.
    I'm not much of a drinker but their white peach sangria is absolutely delicious and smooth. A great drink to accompany such excellent food. Get the pitcher!! It's worth it.

    Service here is always great. Not one complaint to date and I go here often. I recommend this place to almost everyone I know. I love it!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/6/2014
    2 check-ins

    Been here a bunch of times, but I've never gotten around to writing a review.  So, here goes:

    - Friendly service, a bit slow depending on the night, but they're usually accustomed to large crowds. I recommend making a reservation, otherwise expect a long wait on the weekend.

    - Great food, tons of vegetarian options. My favorites include: sea food paella, it's fresh and the huge portion is easily sharable by 4-5 people. The market salad is delicious with the textures all playing well together. The spicy potatoes and goat cheese in tomato sauce actually pair well together, who doesn't like high-carb foods? I've also never been disappointed with the chef's specials, so be sure to hear them out.

    - The classic sangria (red), is a hit or miss. Sometimes, it's superb, well balanced with plenty of fruit, but other times it's overly sweet and disappointing. If you'd like more fruit in your sangria, be sure to mention that, they'll usually bring you a side of pre-soaked apples to add to your glass.

    - Definitely save room for dessert. All chocoholics must try the dark chocolate crema, the rich chocolate and orange contrast is simply too good to share. I'm not a fan of the chocolate truffle cake since the kahlua makes it a bit too sweet for my liking, but if you prefer milk chocolate I've heard it's a must eat. Finally, if the mango sorbet is in season, then definitely try it. It's so fresh and refreshing, perfect for Chicago summers.

    Overall, I love the lively atmosphere for lunch/dinner, and it's a great place for happy hour! They usually offer good check in deals via Yelp/FourSquare.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/10/2015
    1 check-in

    Our twenty something son introduced us to Cafe Babareeba last year and we've been there now three times when visiting from Michigan. The tapas are incredible. A large and diverse selection...hot and cold. We usually are with a group and sample about 15 choices. Then we have long discussions about which was our favorite...and there is never agreement. The Sangria is deliciously refreshing on a hot day. It's definitely best to go with a group of six at least in order to get a good sampling of shared tapas. After getting stuffed we also enjoyed the nice walk back to the Brown Line at Fullerton for the trip back downtown. Eat here...several times!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/13/2014

    I love babareeba, brunch, lunch,  late night dinner, private event and simply cocktails I have done them all here.  The service, sangria and tapas are great.  The menu selection is extensive but I try to go for different tapas each time it still have my favorites,  beef medallions with blue cheese crust, the warm potato omelete, staple goat cheese and red sauce,  scallops are great as well.   This place has such a great vibe and a beautiful decor, it's huge and has several rooms, if I could find one negative it would have to be the bathroom situation or lack of, they have one in a private room and another that you have to take a steep staircase down too.  Besides that,  I truly love babareeba.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/21/2014

    Came here for my boyfriend and I's 2 year anniversary in 2012.
    (BEYOND LATE, I know...)
    BUT
    we have been here a few more times after that as well!

    This place is the go-to place if you would like some yummy Spanish food!
    Funny how we found out about this place thru an advertisement in the back of a CTA bus!

    We always order paellas and tapas.

    The first time, we got a tapas platter because they all seemed so good and we just couldn't decide. BEST DECISION EVER. the seafood paella is yummy! We also got spicy potatoes with a magical aioli sauce ... shrimp with garlic sauce was amazing along with an octopus plate.  and you know it is every girl's dream to get a dessert platter at the end of a meal! Best way to top off a meal with great food and fun times

    Thank you, Café Baba Reeba for a wonderful, memorable anniversary!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/18/2014

    Cafe Ba Ba Reeba is a true gem.  

    My fiance and I have been here only twice (once in 2012 and once in 2014) but it's one of our favorite places in town.  I've been to several other tapas places in Chicago, which you would think might be better since they were smaller and less corporate (CBBR is a Lettuce Entertain You venture) but this is not the case.  CBBR rules over all!

    Must orders:

    * Fried potatoes w/ spicy aoli - as more than a few yelpers have mentioned, the aoli is off the chain.  I legitimately could eat it by the spoonful (could? I meant to say I DO)

    * Bacon wrapped dates - because #duh

    * Deviled eggs - I love me some deviled eggs and hate it that many restaurants serve such bland versions.  Not the case here; creamy and well seasoned plus a sprinkle of bacon

    * dark chocolate crema (dessert) - this is a stand out.  It tasted like a rich brownie, but the texture of a thick mouse.  My mouth was confused but addicted.

    Pro tip: cocktails are better than the sangria and are half price on Mondays.  Peach/whiskey cocktail and raspberry jam cocktail are great.

    Bonus points for service... our most recent trip was to celebrate my fiance's birthday.  I merely left a simple note stating as such in our Open Table reservation and you would have thought my lady was a visiting dignitary from the service we received.  Our wonderful server-dude (gah I forget his name!) brought us out free pintxos to start the meal and a complimentary dessert platter with candle at the end.  I was blown away and very grateful to these thoughtful touches.

    CBBR FTFW

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/6/2014

    We had a pleasant experience and the food was prepared quite well.

    My favorite dish was the goat cheese in tomato sauce while my fiancée really enjoyed the grilled octopus.

    We ordered 3 tapas each and left quite satisfied in regards to portion size. 2-3 tapas per person is definitely enough for a meal.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    8/28/2014
    1 check-in

    If I'm ever in Chicago again.. I DEF PLAN ON GOING BACK!
    The wait was about 40 minutes (Thursday night).
    All their sangrias are AMAZING.
    You really can't go wrong with any of their tapas.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/6/2013

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is hands down my favorite place to eat in Chicago. At this point, I am pretty sure that I have enjoyed every vegetarian plate on the menu.

    My favorite dishes on the menu are the goat cheese croquetas and the fried goat cheese... Obviously I have a big thing for goat cheese.  The spicy potatoes are a religious experience as well.  Besides having great food and really reasonable tapas portions, Ba-Ba-Reeba has about 6 different types of sangria to choose from at any given time.

    I have been here on several occasions both on a date and group settings. This is an awesome venue for group outings where everyone dresses nicely and gets a little rowdy. However, please be advised that if you have a large group you have to plan very far in advance. I was totally bummed out when I couldn't reserve a table on my 24th birthday a couple of years ago and thought for sure I'd be able to get in with almost two weeks notice, but alas it's a super busy place and we ended up at a different venue.  So if you're planning a large group outing, plan waaayyyy in advance!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/21/2014

    I love Cafe Ba Ba Reeba! Have always had a great experience here and I look forward to it every time I have the chance to go. Here are the items that stand out to me:
    -Peach sangria
    -Baked goat cheese
    -Spicy potatoes
    -Beef with blue cheese

    Service and ambiance is great. It's expensive, but worth the occasional splurge.

    Tip- make reservations weeks in advance if you want a desirable weekend time. They fill up extremely fast.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/9/2015

    I went here on a Friday night with no reservation. Although the place was crowded, we were able to be seated immediately at the bar. I highly recommend the chorizo wrapped dates and the shrimp with lardon, both on the pintxos portion of the menu. Although these were bite sized, they were both packed with flavor!

    The only thing that we ordered that I was not a fan of was the scallop empanada. It was way too rich for my taste. Aside from that, the food quality, service and ambiance all were great.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/15/2014

    Service was a tad bit slow, food and drinks were great! Made up or it :)

    Can't wait to get back here, the seafood Paella had great flavor, the special quail was the only thing that was meh.

    I will make sure to come back soon and try plenty more!

  • 1.0 star rating
    3/17/2015

    Yikes.

    It's never a good thing when you have to pry the "manager" away from his socializing and let him know the bartender needs help.

    Long story short--we got a couple things then the invisible treatment for a solid 15-20 minutes. Once the "manager" realized what was going on at the bar he decided to help out the bartender..but didn't bother to get us anything. Ask us anything..acknowledge our existence even.

    I can come up with all sorts of other words to describe the nightmare we had but I'm going to skip it.

    The fact that they comped our entire check should tell you something.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/29/2014

    I friggin love this place. I'm a true fan of all things Spanish, so naturally tapas and sangria are right up my alley. Everytime I visit, whoever I'm with, we always get the bacon-wrapped dates, the spicy shrimp and garlic, and patatas bravas, which totally takes me right to Spain.  I've never had a tapa I didn't like.  The original red sangria is my fave.  The passion fruit, mango and other special ones are more watered down and have less flavor in my opinion.  Service is usually pretty decent.  It's never been super awesome, but it's respectable and that's all I can ask for.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/5/2014

    I so want to give it 5 stars! Close but not quite. Delicious tapas, plus we happened in on a Tuesday and they have half off all bottles of wine. But the paella kills the 5th star.

    Delicious: fried green peppers (FYI they're shishito peppers not bell peppers - they range in spice from not to a little), garlic shrimp, scallops, calamari, chorizo date bite (you can really split it into two bites if you just want a taste). And the $9 marg is delicious.

    Pretty good: patatas bravas (lacked a little salt in my opinion, but that was easily fixed), chicken empanada

    Meh: pork paella. Idk what it was because I love pork, and this thing has 3 kinds (pork belly, roast pork, and some sausage), but it just didn't do it for me. I didn't love the flavor of the paella. They do give you a big heaping plate though for one serving (min order 2) at $14.

    Liked our server and the atmosphere. But the chairs suck. Way narrow at the back. Get new chairs Cafe Babareeba!!!

    Oh and it's tapas, so of course, expect to spend more than at an entree type place, but it was actually pretty reasonable!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/17/2013
    2 check-ins

    I recently came here on a "first date". The first thing I must say is that it is a great date spot. The restaurant itself is cute, big, nice decor. There are many tables; however, the wait can still be a bit of a challenge. I strongly recommend making a reservation.

    After we were seated, the server came promptly and took our drink orders. We chose the half pitcher of their classic sangria. Their sangria, for lack of better terms, is like a fine crack that you will become addicted to as you sip each sip. Be careful. You have been warned. The half pitcher contained a generous amount; enough for two people on a first date trying to ease the pain of the awkward encounter you must hurdle through. I got buzzed, SUCCESS!

    The food - Here is what we ordered:

    1. Beef empanada - I'm cuban, it's what we do. The dough was flaky and buttery and contained a generous amount of beef filling. However, the taste of the beef lacked seasoning. I would skip this one next time I go.

    2. A seafood mixture which had shrimp and scallops: I don't remember what it was called but it almost looked like a ceviche. This was light, refreshing, and tasty. I did not feel guilty while consuming these calories. Yum.

    3. Seared scallops: WOW! The highlight of the meal. Perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, hint of garlic and a slightly sweet after taste. mouthgasm at its finest.

    4. Stuffed mushrooms: My second favorite; however, a bit too greasy for being a veggie dish.

    5. Chicken and spanish chorizo skewer: This was really, really, good too. They definitely know how to cook their meats. Me likey.

    I must note that the food came out in "chunks", step by step, one by one. It was strange. It took about 5 minutes between each plate. The last one, the skewer, came out about 20 minutes after we had already consumed the others. This was the only pickle I have about the dining experience.

    The server was good; attentive; made recommendations accordingly. A for effort :)

    I'd go back again.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/27/2014

    This is my favorite tapas place, can't believe I didn't write a review sooner! Everything is great, paella is authentic and filled with meats, goat cheese app is the bomb, sangria is flavorful, bacon wrapped dates are my boyfriend's favorite, and if you sign up for their text and mailing list you sometimes get deals! :) This is pretty much a piece of heaven. Go for girl's night out or on a classy date. Or just because you like good food.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/15/2015

    Lovely ambiance, service and staff. The goat cheese with tomato sauce and spicy potatoes were good. The classic red wine sangria was good. The oven baked vegetables with pinenuts were good too.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/3/2015
    1 check-in

    One of my favorites! So yummy and perfect for a group. Recommend all blackberry sangria and the butterscotch custard- to die for!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/27/2014
    1 check-in

    Great place for a date. Made a reservation and requested a quieter table and although  the whole restaurant is pretty loud, I got put in a quieter corner, which was nice. Got free freshly baked bread but had to resist not eating all the bread in order to have room for the tapas. Ordered 5 tapas and received 1 free dessert tapa for checking into Yelp for 2 people which was more than enough. Everything was delicious but my favorite was the patatas bravas!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/12/2015

    Absolutely one of my favorite tapas restaurants in the country!

    Went here for the first time a few weeks ago and will definitely go back - everything from the service to the food was fantastic! There was a pretty large group of us but 2-3 plates of each was more than enough. We had the garlic potato salad, the spinach and manchego-stuffed mushrooms, seared salmon with kale, fried calamari, chicken & ham croquetas, chicken and chorizo sausage skewers and, for dessert, the flan, dark chocolate crema, and marcona almond-caramel bar.

    The garlic salad - flavorful, perfect consistency, nice large chunks of potato.

    Spinach mushrooms - I waited to have these so they were a bit cold when I got to them, but they were perfectly cooked. No juice flying out when I cut into it, nice filling.

    Chicken and chorizo skewers - big chunks of juicy meat. Can't go wrong.

    My favorite dish was the salmon and kale - again, juicy and flavorful, the kale was such a good pairing. If I remember correctly, it had a bit of a crunch (or at least wasn't soggy) and just awesome. A lot of pieces in each plate, too, so everyone had a good portion of fish on their plate.

    Of the desserts - they were all excellent - my favorite was the flan. Sweet, creamy, just perfect.

    Our servers - wish I'd remembered their name - were phenomenal. All the plates came out on time, drinks were always replenished. Truly a great dining experience! Hats off to the chefs/staff of this restaurant - I'll be back soon!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/18/2015

    Came here a few weeks ago for an impromptu girls night and had a really good experience. It was crowded on a Saturday night--not in a bad way, but in a "this place is tasty and popular" way. We enjoyed the black raspberry sangria to start out with and, even though it was busy, were not rushed to order by our server. Got some great recommendations for both vegetarian and meat dishes, and away we went. For three people I think we ended up with 6 dishes and two desserts. Highlights were stuffed mushroom caps and the goat cheese in tomato sauce, and of course the dessert flan. I definitely recommend this restaurant, just make sure you get a reservation ahead of time!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/16/2015

    This place is awesome! We came here for lunch during restaurant week and were thrilled with the experience!

    There were three of us when we came in, so we got to try at least one of everything on the restaurant week menu, which was great at only $22 per person for four courses. For the appetizer course, there was the option of either a brussel sprout salad or chorizo chickpea soup. I ordered the salad, which was great! The crunch from the almonds was a nice touch. Then for the first tapas course, we had two ordered of the tortilla espanola and one for the patatas bravas. LOVED the aioli with the patatas bravas. They had a fantastic spice. The tortilla espanola was probably my favorite thing from the whole meal. It came with some kind of sour cream that went together perfectly with the warm potato omelette. For the second tapa we had the chicken and chorizo skewer, the flank steak, and the garlic shrimp. The steak was very tender and had a great sauce and the chicken and chorizo were great! Even though the chorizo wasn't spicy, it still had a great flavor. However, the garlic shrimp was fantastic; definitely a favorite of that course. The garlic taste wasn't overpowering, and they were seasoned perfectly! For dessert, our waiter informed us that we could order any dessert, not just the ones off the dessert restaurant week menu. We ordered the caramel marcona almond bar, the carmelized banana with quince syrup and vanilla ice cream, and the apple empanada. The desserts came small and just perfect as to not be overly-filling. The caramel bar was heavenly! The thick, gooey caramel with the buttery crust was delish. The banana was our second favorite; the warm banana with the cold ice cream was a great combo. The apple empanada was tasty as well! Loved the warm apple in the light pastry.

    Overall, we were super happy with our choice for restaurant week! Would love to come back and try more!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/26/2015

    LOVED the food!  Some of my favorites include:  Deviled Egg pintxo, flank steak with chimichurri sauce, grilled squid, stuffed mushrooms, and the seafood paella.  My mouth is watering just thinking about the food.  Also, try the passion fruit sangria!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/7/2013

    I was recently introduced to this place when visiting town. We were told the reservation list was full, but we could call ahead and put our name on a wait list, which we did. We arrived a bit earlier than they had told us to and they were able to seat us within five minutes. The place is huge and knows how to manage a busy Fri night!

    We had trouble deciding what to order, there are so many great options, I don't think you can go wrong! The sangria was amazing (we tried the classic red); seriously, the best I've ever had. There were three of us in our group; we split about 8 plates: from pinxtos platter to goat cheese in tomato sauce, brussel sprout salad to spicy potatoes, and three different meat plates (Spanish sausages, beef skewer and short ribs). It was all amazing. I'd order those plates again, except that I would also want to try new things!! With that said, my favorites were the roasted dates with bacon and apple vinaigrette (coming from someone who doesn't usually like dates - they were heavenly), rioja-braised short ribs, spicy potatoes and the brussel sprouts. It was a great dining experience. I look forward to coming back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/21/2014

    Faced with the task of planning a bachelorette party, I needed to find a restaurant for dinner that had space for 13 people and was a reasonable price. Cafe ba-ba-ree-ba was the perfect choice!

    I was able to get a great table and the private party coordinators (Alison and Michelle) had me choose various cold tapas, hot tapas, and desserts and made them into a cute pre-fixed menu! This eliminated the pressure of any decision making for such a large group. The food came out quickly and one right after the other...just as we were finishing up with one tapa, the next was being served. It helped that we had a stellar waiter. Everyone LOVED the food, and the sangria was yummy as ever.

    It was also only $30/person for the food, plus tax/tip/drinks. There is no place this good in Chicago that will hold that big of a group for a price like that!

    Truly no complaints...so impressed with the process, the presentation, the staff, the food, and the price!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/13/2014

    To start the Sangria was great must have.  Glad I had : chicken empanadas, goat cheese and tomato spread, crochets, the Brussels sprouts slaw, beef and horseradish skewer tasty but they could be more generous  then one skewer . The shrimp with garlic oil is a must too, make sure you use the bread they give you to start to soak up garlic oil for that, make it your first order first and don't let them take it away till it's dry .

    With reservations: pork belly skewer (salty not impressive avoid  ) fried calamari .  

    Missed out on any of the paella... I'll be back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/28/2015

    My roommates and I go here a couple times a year and have always enjoyed it.  It's typical tapas, so you can find some classic favorites (and the patatas bravas and bacon wrapped dates are as good as expected), as well as some interesting new flavors (I'm a sucker for their shishito peppers).  And you simply can't go without having dessert - they offer really small desserts, so you can get a couple, but the butterscotch pudding is one of the most delicious things I've ever put in my mouth.  Even if you don't think you like butterscotch, it's worth trying it - it came recommended to me and was better than I could have imagined!  Sangria is only ok, but a couple glasses in and you won't mind so much.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/28/2015

    I tried a number of the tapas, and my favorite thing were the bacon wrapped dates. I know the whole "bacon goes with everything" mantra might be a little played out but you won't regret it. If you stop by with a group I'd recommend getting a pitcher of sangria; it's a pretty good deal and they taste great.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/25/2014
    1 check-in

    Went here for a birthday dinner with 8 girls and had a blast! Thanks to Yelp perks we got desserts for free! Our waiter was very, very nice and accomodating.

    My friends and I all stuck to the seafood options. I got the chicken moorish dish and the grilled squid! Both were so so delicious. The squid came in a simple olive oil sauce that was slightly heavy but great nonetheless. The chicken dish had golden raisins, pinenuts and cauliflower- perfect! The desserts were all small but my friends loved them and the atmosphere was gorgeous. Huge restaurant. Can't wait to go back sometime soon but making reservations at least 2 weeks in advance would be recommended.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/11/2015
    Listed in Chicago Favorites

    My husband planned a surprise dinner in Ba-Ba-Reeba on Valentine's day in 2012. I had tapas for the first time and just mind blowing. Tapas were awesome, ambiance was pleasant but very busy. The best part, they had so many vegetarian options. I am a fan of stuffed mushrooms ever since, but never found the same anywhere else. Overall loved the place very much!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/24/2014

    One of my favorites! My co worker & I decided we needed a Girl's Night Out & we ate, drank & had the best time. I've been here several times & even though our server wasn't that great this time around it didn't matter. I had my white sangria & the best tapas!
    My favorites: Dates wrapped in bacon, olives, goat cheese in tomato sauce, Pincho de solomillo, and of course the flan!
    I will definitely be back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/30/2014
    1 check-in

    Everything was fantastic, except for the scallops, which were less-than-average and very bland. Garlic shrimp is a must every time. The raspberry sangria was disappointing as well, but the rest of the food made up for it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/21/2014
    1 check-in

    Before coming to this place, I have never been to a restaurant that serves tapas. I mean, I've seen it on the tv and heard of it, but never had a first hand experience. However, I'm glad that I finally did. It was AMAZING. My favorites would have to be the spicy potatoes w tomato alioli, roasted dates w bacon and apple vinaigrette, and beef empanada. Those along with the other tapas we ordered were simply amazing. At this location, you pay for the abundance of flavors and that is okay because quality is more important that quantity some times. The servers were really nice and always asked if we wanted more. I wouldn't say they went beyond or were exceptional, but they were decent. Lastly, the desserts were really delicious too. Once again, they are small, but one bite of it is enough to fill your entire mouth with flavor. My favorite was the coconut flan.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/8/2015
    2 check-ins

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is one of my favorite places to go to. It's a great place to meet up with friends and get some drinks. Definitely my go-to for girls nights or a date night. Tapas are good but not always an ample serving for a group.  The highlight of my dinner here has to be the pitcher of sangria.  My favorites tapas: spicy potatoes, chicken croquettes, garlic shrimp, and the goat cheese plate. Truly love this place but often feel rushed for there's always a wait.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/12/2013

    When it comes to food adventures, I love to be accompanied by those whom are openly affectionate. By that, I'm referencing to cartwheels and giggles that extend from the lungs to as far down as one's tippy toes. Needless to say, a half pitcher of white peach sangria added to that effect. #lightweight

    The highlights of our dinner were the roasted dates with bacon in apple vinaigrette, fried calamari with tomato sauce and ailoli, and meatballs with sherry tomato sauce. If you haven't yet, you should really hop onto the "bandwagon" and order not one but all three of these.  

    The other dishes, chicken and ham croquette and seafood paella, were also very likable. We ordered two servings of the paella. The rice didn't seem to be 100% cooked. A few pieces of rice here and there were a bit difficult, but they were very generous with the shrimp and scallop.

    Our waiter was certainly a charmer. He complemented our desserts, butterscotch custard and dark chocolate crema, while also adding a third one, the chocolate truffle cake, to his tab. La-la-la-lovely! Each bite was a sugary, wicked blow to the taste buds. Very, very rich! My favorite goes to the butterscotch custard!  

    Reservations are recommended. Our trio had it for a Sunday evening at 6:30pm. There was no wait or hassle. The restaurant décor and dangling lights were dimmed but casual, intimate yet welcoming. Café Ba-Ba-Reeba is definitely a keeper!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/14/2014

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is better than your typical tapas bar. There are great savory dishes such as the grilled squid and spicy potatoes. Not to mention a great selection of sangria to get your ass hammered for the day.

    However CBBR doesn't really grace me as one of the best tapas place in the world but it is in the tippy top of the list for tapas in Chicago. It's just that the menu is not as expansive as a traditional Catalonian tapas menu. Sure you got your croquettes, kebabs, salt and olive induced choice of food... However it just doesn't have the decadence that other tapas restaurants have made a stable of.

    That's mainly the biggest gripe I have for not giving it a fully loaded 5 stars. In the end, I still enjoyed eating at CBBR. If you're still thinking of tapas, you might want to checkout The Purple Pig instead.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/7/2014

    This place is lots of fun and good food.

    The food is definitely better than the drinks. The sangria, wine and beer are all just OK.

    It's a go to place for us when we're meeting friends in the neighborhood.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/7/2014 Updated review

    I GOT MARRIED AT CAFE BABAREEBA THREE WEEKS AGO! (And it was perfect, by the way.)

    Yes, married. We didn't have just the reception here, we also knocked out a 10 minute ceremony after which, we opened the bar to our guests because, priorities.

    I was waiting for pictures from our photographer but I wanted to Yelp CBBR while the day was still fresh in my mind.

    A little back story, my husband proposed to me in August of 2013 - we knew we wanted a short engagement and literally just picked the weekend after my birthday in March (3/15 to be exact). After we got engaged and waited about a week, we already knew that CBBR would be it, we love the restaurant and the food and the tapas/family style plates and casual atmoshpere. Picking CBBR was just as easy as saying yes to him. Sure we had other places in mind (Carnivale, Tapas Valencia) but CBBR was more us. And it was important to us that we keep it personal, like we were just throwing a party. Traditional we are NOT. Plus, communication with CBBR was timely and friendly, which matters when you plan a wedding 6 months away.

    From the moment I reached out to them about my possible party size (Was: 75, Actual: 125), to the day of - the communication and service was just wonderful in a word.

    Alison and Ashley are some of my favorite people ever. My wedding day went off without a hitch because the entire staff is amazing. Literally amazing. We wanted to pay for everything before the wedding day because who wants to think about that when you're getting married. And it was so easy, and they ran our card for the final payment like we asked and let us know once they did. They think of everything before you do, which comes in handy if you're a frazzled, busy bride.

    We wanted something low-key obviously, and we didn't even realize we picked St. Patty's weekend for our nuptials. So many other patrons stopped my husband and I for pictures and we can't even begin to explain how much fun our guests had.

    So many guests commented on how this was "the best wedding meal of their lives," which meant a lot to us because we obviously love to eat haha.

    In fact, we got a wedding card yesterday from friends who added a PS in the card: "We had so much fun at your wedding we forgot to put the card in the box!"

    That's all we wanted after all, to make sure our guests have a great time. Alison is so flexible and accommodating it was literally so easy to plan this with her behind the scenes. Also, she is so sweet in person (and in email but you know, email is your first point of contact!) We literally upgraded our bar package a week before the event and it wasn't even a big deal, they were both just like - SURE NO PROBLEM! In fact, my head count kept changing and I would just shoot her an email the week of and she would just thank me for me letting her know.

    Ashley was there on the day of and always made a point to check in with me at every part of the day. She even brought me sangria refills too! So thoughtful. We actually dropped off our items the Friday before the wedding and they took care of everything, put programs at every place setting and literally (with the help of our friends/coordinators) gave us the day we dreamed of, better actually.

    So sure, a restaurant wedding isn't for everyone. But this wedding was exactly us. My husband and I cannot wait til our one year anniversary. We're going to dinner at Cafe Babareeba and spending the weekend at the Four Seasons Chicago to re-live our wedding weekend just as it was.

    Thank you so much Alison + Ashley for giving us the wedding day that was better than Rith and I could have ever imagined. I'll be sure to add more pictures once we get more.

    5.0 star rating
    1/7/2010 Previous review
    Cafe BaBaReeba makes me want to eat every single meal tapas like. Seriously, let's ponder this idea… Read more
  • 2.0 star rating
    5/6/2015

    Extremely disappointed. The paella was overlooked and not authentic. The sangria  was fair. Any Tapa Restaurant should excel at these items. Perhaps bc it was Wednesday the chef was not in ??

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/31/2014

    I've been to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba twice and generally find it a safe and pleasant option, especially when in a pinch. The food is pretty good (nothing I've ever had is worse than "average"), the space is enormous, ensuring a minimal wait time even on a Friday, and the menu is vast enough to accommodate a wide array of tastes. Even their drinks are not overly sweet or watered down- solid all around!

    A few standout menu options include the charred octopus with bone marrow and lemon and the market greens salad with pumpkin seeds and grapefruit. And the coconut flan. My god, the flan. I'm not a big dessert person, and particularly not fond of flan, bit this is really top notch. Highly recommended.

    Also, Ba-Ba-Reeba does brunch on weekends, with a fun make your own Bloody Mary bar.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/17/2014

    lt's a good place to hang with friends. If you eat here you def should order their tapas! Me and my friends all like the sausage with potato, the octopus and the shrimps.  If you would order the octopus, get the grilled one instead of the fried rings(calamari).  ...  For the drink, I usually don't drink,,, but their mango sangria is very tasty.  When finishing the meal with desserts,  I love the caramel flan and the mango sorbet.

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/26/2014
    1 check-in

    Wait is pretty long consider that we have a reservation. Food is decent and service is nice. The Spanish sausage is my favorite.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/28/2014

    I am not a huge fan of tapas style eating, but I liked this place.

    I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Spain for 6 weeks two years ago, so I have been eager to eat some Spanish cuisine!

    My friend and I met here for dinner and ordered some delicious sangria as soon as we sat down. I would recommend ordering that alongside some spicy potatoes (so good!).

    The beef skewers were delicious!

    The brussel sprout salad was also very good- the plate was taken away with not a single sprout left on it.

    We also decided to order some chicken paella.....which unfortunately we did not enjoy whatsoever. The flavor was absolutely off to the point where we politely told our waiter that we did not care for it. I never send things back, but this item being the most expensive thing we ordered, we couldn't keep it (or wanted the left overs for that matter) So I told the waiter in the most apologetic fashion if he could take it away. He was SO GRACIOUS and omitted the paella from our bill. He apologized and asked if we wanted to order something else, which we did. We were so thankful for his kindness. He also provided us with two free desserts. THIS IS HOW YOU GET RETURNING CUSTOMERS. Nice job Café Ba-Ba-Reeba, you know how to treat people.

    This place is great, and I will definitely return in the future.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/27/2014
    2 check-ins

    Love this place! Great tapas and sangria. Love their seasonal sangria. Had pomegranate sangria once and it was sooo good!
    Service is always good there too. Hands down my favorite spanish restaurant in Chicago.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/21/2015

    Super tasty foods.  Been here for paella, tapas, flamenco.. it's all been good.  I love bringing people here.  The best tapas I've had in the city.  I crave this place way more than I make it here, which is unfortunate.  Get some bacon wrapped dates!  Get some potato bravas, scallops.. goat cheese bread.. agh... SOOO GOOD!  If this place were either cheaper or closer, I'd be here at least once a month.  Sangria is pretty decent.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/17/2014
    2 check-ins

    I ordered the shrimp with garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes thrice. I didn't like the beef empanadas, it lacked taste. The seared lamb loin was really good, enjoyed the pisto manchengo that came with it. The ambience of the restaurant was really fun and inviting. Overall good place for the price. I ate a lot but it was worth it.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • Start your review of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!.

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    • Eek! Methinks not.
    • Meh. I've experienced better.
    • A-OK.
    • Yay! I'm a fan.
    • Woohoo! As good as it gets!

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  • 4.0 star rating
    2/20/2015

    Love the menu here.. you can pretty much order one of everything and your bill not be crazy high. Love the Sangria. Great for Date night or a fun night with Friends.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/17/2014

    This place is definitely good but WOW, everyone is salivating over it. I feel like people are excited to give it 4 stars before even taking their first bite. A bit overhyped? I thought the fish here was fresh and delicious. The sangria? Alright. The stuffed mushrooms? Oh my God, people, these are stuffed mushrooms! I feel like the 8 year old I babysat for could make them! They were good but nothing to run home and tell mom about! I honestly prefer Avec over this place, if they are comparable in any way. I know Avec isn't just tapas, however.

    Next time I go I definitely would like to try their paella to see if it's worth the 45 minute wait and the 2 person minimum serving. WTF? I can handle the wait because it's paella but really? 2 person minimum? If you want great paella, great service, and slightly less hype-I'd choose Avec..

    The chicken empanada is delicious though. The end. MEOW

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/3/2013 Updated review
    8 check-ins

    I have returned to this Lincoln Park institution several times after my January 2012 review.

    As usual, I went to the bar area to enjoy my meal.  The bartender, J.P. had greeted me with some small conversation which was cool.  Very laid back area.  

    Since I didn't know if I wanted breakfast items or tapas entrees, JP gave me plenty of time to decide without being rushed.  I finally decided on the Ham and three cheese omelet with potatoe tots and under the Brunch Pintxos column, I added the Waffle- battered Chicken Stick and the French Toast Stick.

    I had received the chicken stick and the french toast stick first - see picture.  The waffle -battered chicken stick was okay.  The French Toast stick was very good and hardy.  The syrup was also included on the plate.

    Couple of minutes later, the omelet had arrived.  Fantastic!!  Better than most Greek breakfast restaurants.  The omelet was nice and cheesy with good amount of ham in it.  The tots were crispy on the outside and creamy inside - also very good.

    I would highly recommend this restaurant for the brunch and for the tapas entrees.  Go and enjoy this place!!

    4.0 star rating
    1/21/2012 Previous review
    I have going pass this restaurant for years and I not a huge fan of Spanish food.  I was invited to… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    2/5/2015

    The atmostphere at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is amazing. Dark lighting gives a romantic kind of feel that off sets from the rush of the restaurant. The food is wonderful. Personally I like tapas because you are able to try so many things. I recently went on a date here and we were able to get 4 tapas which was the perfect amount: brussel sprout salad, cheese platter, bacon wrapped dates, and the scallops. The sangria is a must have.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/19/2015

    Great atmosphere and excellent sangria. Always a good time when we go here. Recommend this place to anyone who likes tapas bars.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/3/2015

    Unreal experience. It's a must try for anyone visiting Chicago for a weekend.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/12/2014

    Great place for tapas!  Has an extensive menu, with a huge assortment of different dishes.  

    Really enjoyed the meatballs, octopus, cheese among many others!  

    They also make a great Manhattan!  Great place especially for large groups!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/9/2015

    This place was fantastic.  Every dish was a flavor explosion in your mouth.  The only thing that didn't totally grab us was the sangria (we chose the raspberry) - guess we just like alcohol that tastes more like wine and less like juice. But I would go there again in a heartbeat!  And the dessert tapas gave us  that little sweet at the end to complete the meal.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/1/2015

    Simply put, this place is the best.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/17/2015

    Love the ambiance of this place. Been there a million times and it always makes me smile. Everyone I take there loves it too!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/17/2015

    Went for brunch on Valentine's Day. I'd been for dinner before and thought it was good but brunch put this place at 5 stars for me. We had 1 brunch Pintxos and 5 brunch tapas options and ALL of them were great! My favorite savory items were the waffle-battered chicken stick and the sausage-fried paella. My favorite sweet item was hands down the buttermilk waffles with warm caramel bananas. Definitely recommending this place to everyone looking for a brunch spot. Unique items, great flavor, affordable prices, and awesome atmosphere.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/28/2014

    I don't even know how any other tapas restaurant in the city could stay open with this place around. I mean, this is by far the best in town and personally I feel it's one of the best restaurants in the city! Without a doubt a go to spot when you're in the northside of Chicago.

    I've lived in the area for four years and have visited the restaurant close to ten times and never have once been disappointed. Usually all of my trips there consists on just my girlfriend and I so I can't comment on what's its like with a group, but looking around and seeing how often there are tables of 8 or more people it has got to be a great time.

    Some of the staples that you MUST order are numbers 30 (spicy potatoes with tomato alioli) and 44 (shrimp with garlic). If you visit here those are some of the best tapas on the menu. Beyond that you can't go wrong with another other plate, and that's the best thing about this style of food, if you happen to not enjoy the particular food you ordered then not to worry! They're all small portions so just order something else! Be mindful those cause the bill can easily rack up if you don't pay attention (I just spent $80 there for just the two of us, but left with leftovers and a food baby so it was all good). Try the paella too! Just know that you need to order a minimum of two servings ($12 a serving) and it takes about 30 minutes to cook. The entire thing could feed probably four people though for the two servings (that's if you're also ordering other tapas).

    Oh and don't even get me started on the Sangria...so....soo..soooooo good! Get the classic red or white too (I recommend the red). Don't mess around with any of those fancy creations, just order a pitcher of what made them famous and enjoy.

    Perfect for a date, a night out, birthday party, get together, just about anything you can imagine. But if you're trying to go on the weekend you'll definitely need to make a reservation in advance!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/27/2014

    This is a hands down fantastic Spanish tapas restaurant in Lincoln Park. Let me just say, their bacon wrap dates are so top notch I can barely help myself but to order them first. My husband and I have been to Chicago 5 times. We have also now been to this restaurant 5 times. It's that amazing.

    The restaurant is quirky and has multiple rooms including a fantastic area with great patio lights across the ceiling.

    Service is always the best. Never a complaint to be had.

    Artisan cheese platter - grade A all the way around. Beef skewer was nice and moist.

    We had a few of their special tapas plates that were to die for.

    All in all I can't wait to go back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/16/2015

    Love this place. Their tapas  and sangria is great and the atmosphere is fun.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/15/2015
    1 check-in

    The best tapas restaurant in the city! Trumps Cafe Iberico. Great for big groups and excellent service. The garlic shrimp, goat cheese spread, spicy potatoes, and sangria are my favorites!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/21/2014

    Went here for dinner on Saturday 10/18 with my sisters, one who is vegan and the other who is vegetarian. We had the seasonal apple cider sangria, which was amazing. We were told that it's smart to order 3-4 tapas per person, but we wanted to get the farmer's market paella (2 servings) to share, so we ordered 4 tapas total & the paella. it was a little too much food, but everything was delicious. We got the stuffed mushrooms, bread with tomato, garlic & arugula & roasted vegetables- my favorite was the stuffed mushrooms. I also got the mini-tapa stuffed date w/chorizo- delicious. could have eaten 10 of them. Will definitely be back to try some of the meat dishes!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/25/2014
    1 check-in

    After so many people telling me about this place, I finally made the 1 hour drive to go there. Overall, the ambience is pleasant, the tapas are amazing and the sangrias are heaven. I tried the paella Valencia which was with rice, pork belly, roasted pork and sausage and I wasn't pleased at all. The rice was harder than I prefer and it had a lack of seasoning with a weird smoky flavor. I was looking forward to this dish but very disappointed. However, the tapas were delicious.

    Spicy potatoes 5/5
    Bacon wrapped dates 5/5 - this was my absolute favorite, we order two orders of these
    Chorizo wrapped dates 4/5
    Spinach and machego stuffed mushrooms 5/5
    Shrimp with olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic 4/5
    Mango sangria 1/2 pitcher 5/5
    Paella Valencia 1/5 - ended up letting the waiter know and he was nice enough to take it back. I tried only two bites and couldn't do it.

    For dessert we got the Caramelized bananas which had vanilla ice cream, quince syrup and toasted pistachios and I enjoyed every last bit of that, despite being incredibly full.

    Overall, the experience was fun and the food was delicious. I would stay away from the paella and focus on the tapas, pinxtos and sangria. The service was great as our waiter kept filling up our cups with sangria when it looked low. I would definitely go again, worth the drive!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/2/2014

    Were the tapas as good at what you d get at Julian Serrano or Jaleo? No. But flavors amd freshness were very solid. Typical friendly and effecient service from a L.E.Y.E operation. Bill adds us pretty fast in a tapas joint so beware.

    Recommended: the pickled vegetables,  bacon wrapped dates, brava potatoes,  short rib, filet n bleu cheese. The red sangria had good flavor without being too sweet.  And the coconut flan was out of the park good.

    I think this menu needs more selections but our meal.n experience was very good.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/22/2014
    3 check-ins

    Really nice place, really good food. I was there to celebrates a friend's birthday.
    The only problem is that the staff was kicking us out by cleaning everything around us, even the floor. I think that it is not a very respectful behavior.

    My tip : Order the sangria WITHOUT ice in it!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/1/2015
    3 check-ins

    The New Years Day Pajama brunch was excellent! Our waiter Ryan was one of the best waiters we've had anywhere. Friendly, not pushy and gave us a few extras without us even asking. Overall great experience.  Brunch paella is an excellent idea as well as the traditional bacon wrapped dates and empanadas. I'll be coming back with the $65 worth of gift certificates they provided at the end of the meal:)

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/29/2014

    In Chicago on vacation and was extended an invitation to join a group at this establishment. One word, yum. We ordered the shrimp with garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes, a beef empanada, the rioja braised short rib with manchego mashed potatoes and baby root vegetables and the paella valenciana with roasted pork, txistorra sausage and braised pork belly. Every thing was flavorful and delicious. Our server was attentive, our food arrived promptly and my party and I left full, satisfied and ready for a stroll around Navy Pier. When I return to Chicago you will find me at Café Ba-Ba-Reeba

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/9/2015
    1 check-in

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is a great place to go whether you're going on a date, or with a big group. Because it is a tapas restaurant, you get to try a variety of what is on their menu.

    I went there on a date and we ordered 5 different tapas. We ordered the deviled eggs (which are in the bite size tapas section) and they were delicious! There were 3 of them so we each had one and a half. They suggest that you choose one from each of the 4 types of tapas on their menu (Vegetables/Cheese, Chicken & Pork, Seafood, and Beef & Lamb). We decided to take their advice and got the Goat Cheese Baked in Tomato Sauce, Shrimp with Garlic, Olive Oil, and Red Pepper Flakes, Meatballs with Sherry Tomato Sauce, and the Grilled Flank Steak.

    While everything we ordered was extremely tasty- my favorite was the Goat Cheese Baked in Tomato Sauce. It was the perfect temperature, very filling, and the crostini was crispy and had just the right amount of olive oil and garlic on it.

    We also received a free dessert tapas by "checking in" to the restaurant via yelp and chose the mini ice cream sandwiches.

    I have not yet had a chance to make it back to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba- but I will definitely be returning in the future!

  • 1.0 star rating
    12/12/2014
    1 check-in

    Absolutely terrible wine and food. The only decent thing were the empanadas - and that includes dessert.  The steak and chimichurri was steak and a sauce. Squid was so fishie that I had to order lemon.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/28/2014
    1 check-in

    Everything about this spot was great! Great food and amazing sangria! Highly recommend their spicy potatoes, grilled squid with olive oil and garlic! Very tasty! Do make reservations in advance. Enjoy!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/27/2014

    It has been YEARS since I've had tapas this good, since I was in Spain to be exact. Everything we've had has been delicious. Bacon wrapped dates are to die for and would probably kill me if I had less self control. The sangria is fantastic to wash it all down. In case you haven't noticed, the food if phenomenal here. Our server, Carly, was on top of everything and gave some nice suggestions.

    An A+++ experience overall

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/27/2014

    This is one of my favorite places!

    Steps for having a great meal:

    1. Invite some of your best food-loving friends & make a reservation.

    2. Get Sangria. No exceptions. All of the flavors are amazing.

    3. Get the baked goat cheese for an appetizer

    4. Order everything else

    5. Order dessert

    6. Roll out in a state of bliss.

    I like how you can order as you go so you don't have to make decisions right away and can pace yourself. Great staff!

    They area also on GrubHub, which I am very excited about.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/15/2015

    I had never had tapas before going to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba and I definitely was mildly surprised! Great menu with a lot of things to offer. Good margaritas. The wait staff was friendly for the most part.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/26/2014
    2 check-ins

    I couldn't possibly find any reason to give this restaurant less than five stars! I love EVERYTHING about it! Yes, it is loud. Yes, it is busy. Yes, you will spend at least $30 per person. IT IS WORTH IT!
    I am a huge fan of tapas, because I love to sample various new things. I love starting off with a pitcher of sangria. It is a must. Their regular sangria is great, but their special flavors are incredible.
    A really cool thing about Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, is that they change up their menu according to season. I am always getting to try something new.
    Some of my favorite dishes are the grilled octopus, grilled squid, and their scallops (I am obviously a seafood fan). If you haven't tried them before, you need to try the bacon wrapped dates. They are extremely memorable to say the least.
    Whenever I am asked to pick a restaurant for dinner, I almost always pick Ba-Ba-Reeba.
    If you check in on Yelp, you can get a free dessert!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/10/2015

    I hosted a bridal shower here, and the service, food, and ease of planning were fantastic!  We had a wonderful time and a memorable event.  Our server took great care of us, and the food and sangria were delicious.  The event planning coordinator made logistics a breeze. Every detail was taken care of. I would definitely recommend Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for a private event!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/18/2014

    Ba-Ba-Reeba is an excellent Tapas restaurant. Our favorite dishes: spicy potatoes, shrimp in garlic oil, short rib and beef medallions. Everything is very delicious and the sangria is the bomb! They always have a seasonal option too which is nice for variety. There is usually a wait so reservations are recommended. Parking gets tricky on halsted sometimes but they do have valet.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/31/2013
    2 check-ins

    It is absolutely always a pleasure to be at Cafe BABAREEBZ!

    Everyone always talks about the sangria because its true: its so refreshing that you will forget that you need to drive later. Heck, one might go as far as giving it to their children on accident because it takes you back in time to the good ol days of sipping on some juice. If you live near walking-distance or are above the law, try all three pitchers! You wont regret it (maybe later).

    There are these pork ribs that are some of the best I've ever had! They satisfy all of rib criteria: crispy shell WITH a glaze + a true fall-off-the-bone texture. These really dont need any tooth effort for separation. Someone could pass gas in your general direction and the force of that small current of pleasant air could send the meat FLYING off these bad boys.

    Spicy tomato aioli potatoes are a must at these places. Loved it. Again, crispy outside and soft center in that sauce.

    Beef tenderloins w/ blue cheese + potato chips. I'm quite sensitive to blue cheese so I typically dont like ones that are super strong and overbearing. Here, they've got that balance between the cheese and the beef. Remarkably good!

    Rioja-braised short ribs broke apart when introduced to the fork. They nailed this one!

    Other dishes that we tried were the croquetas (get em all!), short-rib stuffed peppers, fried calamari, and empanadas (get em all!). They were are great and served as awesome fillers.

    Octopus a la plancha w/ fingerling potatoes and olives was probably the least favorite of the night. Perhaps we got a bad portion due to the fact that it was tough and chewy. No good! However, there were some portions of the dish that were really tender so it wouldn't be wise to dismiss this entirely.

    Did I mention the paella? When we had it, it was restaurant week so I'd imagine that they were mass producing the hell out of these guys. Needless to say, it wasn't memorable (I dare say that Cafe Ibierco put up a fight). Will try again though!

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/23/2014
    1 check-in

    Although I loved the atmosphere, the octopus and scallop tapas, I was very disappointed with the lobster paella. The presentation was beautiful, but the lobster was on the dry side and a little chewy, and the rice in the paella was hard and overall on the greasy side. I took two bites of it and that was about it. My friend that was with me that travels to Spain every year, agreed that the rice was hard. We also expected the lobster to be in the paella and not served in the shell. Our server was fantastic, however, I was a little disappointed that the manager didn't come to our table after we let our server know how we felt. I will give this place another shot and perhaps try different tapas. The sangria was quite nice.

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/11/2015

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has always been one of our go-to places, especially for girls' nights out with friends. We even had my daughter's baptism lunch here (awesome btw) a couple of years ago.

    That's why I was pretty shocked a couple of weeks ago when my family went for brunch on a Sunday morning. The service was still great, but the food was pretty mediocre. It seemed like the food had been cooked in a large batch earlier and was just kind of sitting around awhile. So a little dry, a little meh, just not as special as it usually all is. The dates wrapped in bacon, usually one of my favorites were small and the bacon was just rubbery. The chicken pinxto was sad and tasteless, so I drenched in in that spicy mayo.

    Please, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, don't let this be your new normal!!!! Maybe this is just a brunch problem. I don't know, but I hope this was just a blip on their usual-tasty track record:(

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/31/2015

    Not the best tapas I've had, but not the worst either. I came here for brunch a few weeks ago and left satisfied. Sometimes the pacing of tapas can be off, but this was on point and well spaced out. The sauce that comes with the patatas bravas will have you hoping for more. I did have a minor discrepancy with my credit card bill after the fact, but the manager resolved the issue quickly and explained that the waitress had made an honest mistake. I wouldn't go out of my way to return, but would definitely go back if invited by a friend.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/30/2015

    Delicious Spanish American tapas:) Service is hit or miss.... JP Is the rudest bartender there. Wouldn't recommend sitting at the bar near him. Such a disappointment when you're having such a good time...

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/29/2014

    Ok so I shouldn't admit this but I ate like an absolute BEAST at this place. It was sooooooo good!!! I am a fan of tapas to begin with and Cafe Ba Ba Reeba did not disappoint.
    I went with a group of 8. We had a reservation and they were ready for us when we got there, always a bonus.  We ordered everything from escargot to goat cheese in marinara to paella to risotto to beef to sausages to calamari to spicey potatoes and so on and so forth. Everything was wonderful.  Another fantastic thing about Cafe Ba Ba Reba is that there are so many options even the pickiest eater can find something to munch on.
    I had a white sangria which was pretty good but I must admit the red was better.
    The restaurant is noisy but that adds to the lively atmosphere.  If you're looking for a quite, romantic, stare longingly across the table at each other type of restaurant go somewhere else.  If you're looking for great food visit Cafe Ba Ba Reeba...and invite me!

  • 1.0 star rating
    2/15/2014 Updated review
    3 check-ins

    To go from 5 stars to 1 star you really need to test my patience.  And cafe ba ba reeba did in so many ways.  I've been sitting here for an hour and a half waiting for the check I've asked for repeatedly.  I also notified the hostess who was no help whatsoever.

    Portions have gotten smaller, service much worse, food is still good but not worth the wait.

    5.0 star rating
    11/14/2011 Previous review
    I would give this place 10 stars if I could.  We sat at the bar for happy hour and it was the best… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    1/7/2015

    I'm a returning customer because they always do it right! Great place to go before a show with a big or small crowd. They are fast and make everytime a delicious memorable experience.YUM!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/7/2014

    The potatoes... and the calamari...!!! And the white peach sangria!!!!  I cannot get enough of this place. And if you have room for dessert, the chocolate truffle was beyond amazing. Definitely going back here.. And ordering another pitcher. Also, ask for samples of the other sangrias.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/4/2015

    I hadn't been to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba in a few years and I was hoping it hadn't changed since my last visit. It was just as good as I remembered. Great food, great atmosphere, good service, overall great Northside restaurant.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • Start your review of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!.

    Rating
    • Eek! Methinks not.
    • Meh. I've experienced better.
    • A-OK.
    • Yay! I'm a fan.
    • Woohoo! As good as it gets!

    Select your rating.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/3/2015

    Good! Super busy and not a great flow or space to seat a 2 hr wait.. The food was good, but nothing super spectacular. The beef with the mashed potatoes was so delicious- I wish I had gotten just that, my meal would have been heaven. The sangria is good as well. We had the classic red and the white peach. I mixed them and loved it.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/23/2015

    So great!!  The tapas were super original, and came out to our table quickly.  Loved the atmosphere of the place, as well.  Prices were very reasonable and the service was great!  Will definitely be back!  I'd recommend making reservations, though - really glad we did!

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/23/2014
    1 check-in

    I eat this restaurant several times. Good taste, good price. All the food I ordered are great. I like fried ocup most.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/9/2014
    1 check-in

    Everything we ordered was delicious! The ambiance is also very nice. The sangria, top-notch! My favorite dish was the rioja-braised short rib! It was a little pricey though and the dishes are quite small... but definitely worth visiting!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/7/2014
    1 check-in

    Love the food especially the tiny dessert, but not those family with kids. This restaurant is not friendly with kids. They are very busy but very noisy at this restaurant. Not for romantic couple but overall, food are very delicious and lovable presentation

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/7/2014
    1 check-in

    Love this place. Great options, reasonable price for the city & lots of sangria options.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/16/2015

    The food is fast, fresh and delicious.  The Sangria is the best I've had (try the peach)!  Daniel was our waiter and was fantastic with our two 5 year olds who are a handful.  Amazing service all around.  Don't miss the bacon wrapped dates or the Butterscotch pudding.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/6/2014

    All of the food we tried was delicious!! We had a reservation, but still had to wait about 20 minutes, which wasn't too terrible. We also tried two of the sangrias, which were also very tasty. It is a great place to go with groups who don't mind sharing.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/30/2015

    3 words: bacon. wrapped. dates.

    One of the best bites in the city.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/14/2014
    1 check-in

    I loved the atmosphere of this place! The pitcher of refreshing sangria was delicious.  All the tapas were sooo good and affordable. My favorite tapas were the steak with blue cheese and potatoes with some yummy spicy hummus tasting dip.  I recommend having reservations for this place if you go on a weekend. It gets pretty busy! Also you get two free dessert tapas for FREE when you check in on yelp or Facebook. So cool.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/31/2013
    2 check-ins
    Listed in Yelp 100 2013

    I went here for dinner late night with GF.
    We had several dishes from each of the tapas sections.
    Everything was good.  
    $1.50 pinxtos are all delicious and a good way to sample a lot of flavors.

    Bacon wrapped dates are always phenomenal but dates here are wrapped with chorizo. Amazing.

    Didn't try the Paella.
    Would come back for brunch.
    Yelp check in is a free dessert. One for each person who checks in!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/20/2014
    2 check-ins

    Love it! I've been here three times now and I love it every time. Only downside is that you definitely need to make a reservation, probably a week in advance, and still plan on waiting 20 minutes.

    The sangria is amazing in any flavor. My other favorite dishes are the spicy potatoes, the chorizo wrapped dates, the spinach and manchego stuffed mushrooms, and the butterscotch pot. Mouth watering just thinking about it! Go there now!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/9/2015

    I've been here more than a few times now and cannot get enough! The food is always prepared so well and the sangria is simply amazing. The spicy potatoes were one of my favorites along with any of the items they have ever had with goat cheese! Definitely want to try brunch one of these days.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/6/2015

    I love this place! I always try something new every time and I haven't tried anything I didn't like so far. The restaurant is really cool inside and provides a nice setting for a romantic dinner or a fun dinner with friends. I'm a big fan of tapas restaurants and they are probably one of the best. Don't forget to try their desserts! Very yummy and only $2! Next thing on the menu to try: Paella!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/8/2014
    1 check-in

    Can't find anything bad to say about this place or the food they serve. EXCELLENT in all ways possible. Worth the hike from Downtown Chicago for sure...The service was very friendly despite having to deal with a large table of 15 people...Wish I could list everything I ate here..but safe to say whatever you pick you will enjoy it...especially the bacon wrapped shrimp, the goat cheese/bread and of course the yummy yummy paella. Can't wait to go here again !!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/3/2015

    My wife and I recently had dinner here before going to see Second City.  We tried several different tapas and they were all very good.  The service was very good and the ambiance of the location was very nice as well.  I would highly recommend giving this place a try if you are in the area.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/4/2013
    1 check-in

    Amazing! There's no other word for this place. This is my first time to this place, and I'm glad I waited till I was able to afford this place with my own hard earned money. LoL!

    Forget the decor.. It's too hipsterish for my taste and the chairs in the patio are not made for comfort.

    Our waitress Marilyn was prompt and checked up on us at the perfect times.. But the food was so good, it was hard for us to have any type of conversation during our dinner.

    For drinks, white preach sangria.. enough said.

    The three of us ordered 2 plates each.. It was more than enough

    Tapas:
    1) fried calamari, tomato crudo, jalapeno alioli
    2) beef tenderloin & blue cheese
    3) spicy potatoes with tomato alioli
    4) seared octopus, padron peppers, shallots, salsa verde
    5) spiced lamb kebabs with lemon, mint, and tomato
    6) scallops a la plancha, jamon iberico vinaigrette

    Dessert:
    1) Chocolate truffle cake with Kahlua
    2) Caramelized banana with vanilla ice cream topped with pistachios
    3) Marona caramel almond bar with butter crust

    Get reservations.. You will not regret.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/3/2015

    Great fun and fantastic tapas! Went in Christmas Eve and expected light crowd and indifferent service but it was 180 degrees from my assumption! The atmosphere was warm and festive and the staff could not have been more attentive. Our party ordered 8 tapas and 2 paella's. Plenty of food for all. Each tapas was more flavorful than the next. Paella was a bit dry bust so tasty. Bacon wrapped figs were a killer, as was the blood orange salad. Shrimp was heavy on garlic but plump and delicious. Cannot wait to return.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/5/2014

    Once in a while you hit that place that does everything right, and you leave feeling complete.

    This was our first choice of the Lettuce Entertain You places that we wanted to visit in Chicago.  We took my mom out for her bday lunch/dinner, and we all had a great time!  Before I get to the food, I must mention service, set up, etc...  

    It is really a pain (especially with a big group) when you have to be careful leaving room for everything on the table without spilling something.  Here you are seated at either a large round table, banquet table... whatever suits your group... with plenty of room for multiple plates and tapas to try, while still being able to converse with everyone.  

    The service was superb.  Our server was always checked in (not excessively) and was very attentive to everything we needed and joked with us a couple times- mostly about how much we were ordering because we wanted to try everything.  All tapas showed up quickly and hot.

    Each choice was unique and delish. We tried the goat cheese in tomato sauce (my fav), octopus (2nd fav), bacon wrapped dates (we love bacon), seared bay scallops, stuffed mushrooms, empanadas....yum....

    Tip*  I highly recommend doing their build-your-own bloody mary station... They have a zillion different choices of mixes and sauces to go with your vodka choice--- plus all the fun sides- bacon, salami, olives, BACON, peppercinis, tomatoes, limes, lemons, pickles,.... did I mention bacon?

    Overall- You'd have a hard time having a bad time.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/4/2014
    1 check-in

    Good food, quick service, but long wait.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/4/2014

    First time dinning here, but will definitely not be my last! Amazing meal! Very prompt service with the waiter making some great recommendations on different wines. There was 2 of us and we shared 4 different tapas and a few dessert tapas. I went home with leftovers! Easy to get to from the el, I wouldn't recommend driving as the street parking filled up quickly.

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/16/2014

    I went here on 1-11-2014 for my moms 54 birthday. The waitress was somewhat rude and looked annoyed at our group since it was a larger one. Took them for ever to bring our drink orders and they were overly crowded. We had made reservations a head a time and I recommend you do since it was so crowded you wont get any walk in seating. The dishes were ok at best we had better at other Tapas places. The Spicy Potatoes where not spicy and the flavors were all bland... I had specified that it was my moms bday and they didn't do anything special no candle nothing. .Ok ....they gave  us one 3 dollar dessert after her rudeness that was the least she could do.

    Non the less not going there any more there are WAY better tapas places in Chicago!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/20/2014

    Ahhh tapas, the small plates that contain individual tiny bites of joy. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba does their versions very well.

    In a group of 8, celebrating a birthday, many of the tapas were sampled and many drinks were to be had. Four of us split a pitcher of peach sangria, which was very good, each of us got two full glasses and there was a little top off to spare. As far as the food I personally took bites of:

    Bacon wrapped dates (5/5)
    Steak skewers (4/5)
    Spicy Potatotes (4/5)
    Fried Green Peppers (3/5) and
    Paella Valenciana (5/5)
    Braised short ribs w/mashed potatoes (5/5)
    Dessert - Chocolate Truffle Cake (3/5)

    You can't go wrong with bacon wrapped dates. The steak skewers and spicy potatoes were more impressive because of the sauce pairings. The fried green peppers were good, just not much to them, not a punch in the bite like I like my tapas. The paella was my favorite paella ever, mostly because paella usually comes with seafood and this one did not. Also it was done well. The braised short ribs I got to myself and every mouthful was very succulent and exactly like I would have wanted and was expecting. The chocolate cake was standard, nothing impressive, but good all the same.

    Service was around, clearing plates and making sure we got what all of our orders. Very impressive, especially since the concept of tapas induces a higher service standard than restaurants with the normal three plates.

    I can't wait to take the Mister here to show him how to eat like we do in España.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/18/2013
    1 check-in

    Finally got to try this place out!
    They take reservations, woo hoo!
    Tapas style, meaning, small plates, maybe order  an average of between 2-3 plates per person. Great way to share and try different stuff!

    The plates that stood out to me, sorry, I'm listing a description not the Spanish name:

    Spicy Potatoes, I love potatoes, so automatically it's one of my faves, comes with a yummy sauce, and no, it's not spicy at all

    Bacon Wrapped Dates - sweet and salty, yum.

    Garlicky Shrimp - delicious and garlicky indeed

    Stuffed Mushrooms - tasty and I liked that they weren't just covered in cheese

    Asparagus with egg - anything with an egg on it is another default winner!! And asparagus is one of my faves

    Diver Scallops - I'm a sucker for scallops too, and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba did a pretty good job on their scallops

    Dessert: Coconut flan - pretty good, check in on yelp and you get a free dessert!

    I need to go back and try their breakfast/brunch menu. Attentive service, everyone was nice and our water glass was never empty. Super cute place, great place to bring a date.

  • 2.0 star rating
    2/24/2015

    I've been here three times.  The first time on a double date w friends.  The service was great the food was ok (had a belly aches so I didn't eat much.). I went back a couple of weeks later with my guy and the food was pretty good, service was good as wells so I assumed this would be a consistently good dining choice.  I was wrong.  I went here on a Sunday night with a friend.  Who happened to bring a back pack for some God awful reason.  Anyway they seated us in the most out of the way ridiculous seating in the back of the restaurant (it wasn't crowded.). The service was sub par in that we had to ask the waiter for help repeatedly or catch him versus him being attentive and checking in.  We ordered the stuffed mushrooms (good), chicken empanadas (decent) octopus (salty- I've had better) and the beef short rib (so full of fat I sent it back!). They did graciously replace the rib but come on!?!  I really didn't enjoy this dinner.  The food was subpar and there was no presentation of the food...they basically threw it on the table.  Last time they announced the dishes and presented them for all to see.  Maybe my friend's  backpack resulted in poor service.  I have no clue but I won't be returning anytime soon.   Oh the Carmel pudding desert was great.  Should have taken a pic of that beef rib...you would be shocked.  Lol

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/21/2015

    I had a girls night out this past Saturday and I really love this place, the atmosphere is awesome and not to mention their Sangria.  We had reservations at 6pm; however, our table wasn't available until about twenty minutes later.  We really didn't mind because we sat by the bar to enjoy a few drinks.  After we were seated our server was very apologetic about the delay and offered us free dessert!  - Their croquetas are do die for and we ordered the sea food paella which was also very good.  I will definitely be coming back to this place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/19/2014
    1 check-in

    My bf and I wanted to impress our friends from out of town..being it Saturday night at 8pm , it was hard to look for a great restaurant that will give a good impression without a reservations . Luckily, I saw this place on my bookmark on yelp, I quickly called and was immediately told that there won't be any available seats until 10:30p I almost didn't go but I've been wanting to try this place since my friend recommended this place to me for a suprise bday party last yr bec this is a good place for a get together, however we didn't get to throw our suprise party because of reservations problem( in their defense tho its hard to reserve a table for 20 ppl in such a short notice), luckily my friends tonite wasn't picky and was willing to wait for 2hrs in the bar .

    While waiting we ordered different kind of tapas and drinks. The tapas tasted delicious, we ordered calamari, stuffed spinach in a mushroom, scallops, shrimps ,and brussels sprout salad. We were very happy with our food, and for our drinks we ordered a pitcher of Red Sangria which was their signature drink, it was delicious as well.

    For the main entree we ordered chicken and veggie paella which was 'okay' , it could be better , specially being their 'specialty'. Lastly, our dessert, I ordered caramelized banana with ice cream it was good and light, I can def see eating this again in the future. And the bf ordered chocolate truffled cake it was rich in flavor, it was good but I'm not really into that for my dessert specially eating a lot of food. and then his friend ordered apple empanadas , I didn't try it but his friend said it was good!

    Overall, it was an amazing experience. Our friends kept saying that they were glad we waited instead of going to another place.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/21/2014
    1 check-in

    Had a holiday party here the other night (post holiday party?) and had a great time.  We had the private room, which was great because sangria plus wine plus...makes us a little rowdy.  My apologies to anyone that was in the restaurant.  :)
    The room was perfect, sat about 20-25 of us at an L shaped table so everyone was able to interact.

    Our gracious hostess had pre-ordered a lot of the items so we were pretty much inundated with food and drink the minute we sat down.  Plates just kept coming out...lots of little plates of deliciousness.  Some of my favs were the bacon wrapped dates, the paella & these goat cheese balls.  YUM!    We also had peach sangria, red sangria, wine and champagne (oh my!).  Peach was the hands down winner!

    A lot of people ordered desserts and while they looked delightful, I didn't try any.  I do recall everybody raving about some chocolate cake thing. All in all a great time!

    Thank you Ryan for putting up with our antics!  We had a blast!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/28/2014

    Love this place...never disappointed! It's smart to make reservations & order sangria & bacon wrapped dates:)

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/29/2014

    Jam packed on the weekends (well-deservedly), so the wait for a table can be several hours; but, try the bar area. It's the same menu, they have small tables and chairs, and it's first come first serve--we found a spot in 5 minutes.

    We started with the pintxos platter. The deviled egg with serrano ham and the chorizo-wrapped date were the stand-outs for us. The calamari was also delicious--we enjoyed the red sauce better than the white. I think the paella was my favorite, though. Just keep in mind, "2 servings" is more like 4, so come hungry!

    The only thing I'd say that was a little annoying was the noise level. Sure, it's loud, and that's to be expected. However, their PA system used to call out reservations is a little obnoxious. It's not only too loud, but it also hits at a frequency that seems to pierce right through to your brain. So every time a table is called out, you get a mini headache. I'd suggest to them maybe taking cellphone numbers down, like a lot of restaurants are starting to do nowadays.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/2/2013
    1 check-in

    Other than the long wait because of how many people wanted to eat their delicious food, this place was awesome!  We went there with a couple friends (Hi Sherry and Kristin!) and drank way too much sangria as we tried out nine of the different plates.

    Our first round was: bacon wrapped dates, fried calamari with jalapeno aioli, baked goat cheese in tomato sauce, and the beef medallions with potato chips. The bacon wrapped dates had SUCH great flavor! All bacon-y from the first bite, but the finish was with the deep sweetness of the date. It's a great flavor combo. The jalapeno aioli was absolutely wonderful with the calamari. It had a nice heat to it, which I would expect! The beef medallions were succulent and had a little bit of bleu cheese on them, but not too much, so it wasn't overpowering. The potato chips were fine, but I'm not a plain potato chip person. The goat cheese came with some crostinis to spread it on and they were perfectly crisp without being too hard to bite into.

    Our second round was: asparagus with manchego cheese, the mushroom, onion and arugula flatbread, and spicy roasted potatoes. The asparagus was perfectly cooked and had a great grilled flavor to it, especially on the tips. The flatbread was very tasty, but I felt it was missing something. Maybe a tiny sprinkling of lemon juice or a vinegar reduction. The spicy potatoes were just roasted potatoes with some kind of spicy mayo which wasn't spicy. I was disappointed with that one. When you say "spicy", I WANT SPICY.

    Third round was dessert: caramel almond bar with a butter crust, and the butterscotch pot de creme. Heaven in my mouth. I had to take a few bites despite the fact that I am allergic to dairy, and it was worth the digestive counterattack. That butterscotch pot de creme was topped with a thin layer of a salted caramel sauce which complemented it perfectly. The best way to eat the caramel almond bar was to take a bit and chew it slowly while it melted in your mouth. Then all the flavors really popped out before you swallowed it. Also, the two dessert plates were free because we checked in here on yelp! Totally worth it.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/1/2014

    Awesome meal!  First timer, server was extremely and helped us pick out a nice balance if tapas.  The date appetizer was out if this world.

    Strongly recomnend .. even my doubting kids were converted.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/2/2014

    My boyfriend took me here for a surprise birthday dinner and I was excited to try tapas for the first time. We had a reservation on a Wednesday for 6 PM and we were seated immediately. The restaurant did not full up until around 7 PM, so it turns out that we did not need reservations. I have heard that weekends are a different story entirely, but my weekday experience was that it was not crazy busy.

    We were seated toward the back next to a mirror (one whole wall of the restaurant is a mirror to give the illusion of a larger size). I noticed right away that there suble, classy Christmasy decorations that created a very inviting and cozy atmosphere. I could not stop smiling from the start to the end of my meal!

    Our waiter was cordial and helpful in explaining the menu to us, as well as how tapas work, after we informed him that this was our first time dining at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. We ordered the seafood paella for two for starters after our waiter informed us that would take the longest amount of time to be ready (30-40 minutes). We also ordered a glass of the classic red sangria to share. (Okay, mostly for my boyfriend. I don't really drink, so I just took a few sips of his because I had never tried sangria before.) I have nothing to compare it to exactly, but I thought it was delicious and certainly more enjoyable than red wine by itself (in my un-wine-cultured opinion). While waiting for our seafood paella, we did not hold back at all in ordering small plates of tapas. We kept ordering and ordering and the food just kept coming and coming!

    My boyfriend had the roasted dates wrapped in bacon with apple vinaigrette and he said it was so good that I tried a tiny bite (I'm pescetarian). Sure enough, it was absolutely delicious. The flavors worked perfectly together. Next, we had the pintxos platter with the short-rib stuffed piquillo pepper, bacon-wrapped grilled shrimp, chorizo-wrapped medjool date and cheese, goat cheese croquette with lemon gastrique, roasted beet crostini with herbed goat cheese and hazelnuts, deviled egg with bacon and mustard. The goat cheese croquette was my absolute favorite with the shrimp in a close second. Next, I had the market greens salad, with chili-roasted corn, tomato, cucumber, avocado, goat cheese, and fresno chili vinaigrette; grilled squid on arugula with olive oil and garlic. It was fairly straightforward, but truly excellent. The salad was a great break from some of the other heavier tapas I ate tonight. We also ordered the spicy potatoes with tomato aioli, which were simply divine. I was skeptical when I first read the description on the menu, but boy, was I wowed!

    By the time the seafood paella arrived after ~20 minutes, we were stuffed with tapas. I barely made a dent in my portion, which was pretty large. It's hard to say if it was because I was quite full or not, but I was not as impressed with the paella as I was with the tapas. The dish could have used a bit more flavor and the rice seemed a bit undercooked, which makes sense given it arrived at our table earlier than the waiter originally said it would. However, the calamari in the paella was of very high quality and I enjoyed it a lot!

    After clearing our plates, our waiter brought us complimentary desserts because it was our first time at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, but I pretended it was because it was my birthday. There was no way I was going to turn down free desserts, even if I was very full from all of the abovementioned food. The coconut flan was the best. Simply The Best I Have Ever Had. I would make the trip back *just* for that flan. The other dessert was caramelized banana with vanilla ice cream, quince syrup, and toasted pistachios. The presentation was cute and it was quite delicious, though perhaps a bit too sweet with the quince syrup.

    This was my first tapas experience, but now my expectations are quite high. My only real complaint, apart from not being blown away by the paella, was that the tables are pretty close together and it was easy to hear the entire conversation of the table right behind us. I should also mention that the portion sizes were pretty large. My boyfriend, who has had tapas before, observed that the portions were much larger than other tapas places he has eaten. We left with leftovers, full stomachs, and big smiles. I can't wait to come back here in the future!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/11/2014
    1 check-in

    Came here recently with a few friends during a trip to Chicago. I was overall, very impressed. I don't think I've ever had as good of a tapas experience.

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has an extensive menu, mostly all tapas style. We ordered the spinach and cheese stuffed mushrooms, the lamb kabobs, spicy potatoes, squid and paella for a party of 4. My favorite dish was the squid.. extremely flavorful and tender. All the food was actually very flavorful, though a little salty for my taste (might just be my personal preference). The cava sangria was phenomenal. If I'm in Chicago again, I'd love to come back to try other menu items.

    The service is solid and the atmosphere is perfect for a night out. Dimly lit, lively, with a large open layout and a bar. The place was packed when we went on a Saturday night, so be sure to get a reservation.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/13/2013
    1 check-in

    Delicious thick-cut oatmeal with brown sugar & raisins
    Outdoor seating in the summer
    Good service
    Nice set of offerings on the menu
    A bit pricey, but I'd come here again if in the neighborhood

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/1/2014

    What a fun delicious place.. Brussel sprout peanut slaw was killer, as were the other 5 or six tapas we shared. Unique & sophisticated sangria (not the flavored vodka or the peach sangria- those concepts were a  bit too precious for me to try).  Bacon wrapped dates, mushrooms with fontina, charcuterie plates all good.  Desserts:  chocolate crema with orange & butterscotch were lovely with coffee.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/22/2014

    Gosh nothing wrong with this place.  Food is amazing and I had a great experience.  I went when it wasn't busy so the service was great and they had the tapas come out quick.  Everything flowed really well and I had an awesome experience.  WIll be back for sure.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/28/2014

    Not bad. I love tapas. I think I like Cafe Iberico slightly better tho but can't go wrong with this place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/31/2014

    If you like tapas, it is definitely worth checking out. The bacon wrapped dates were phenomenal as was the spicy potatoes and spinach stuffed mushrooms. The restaurant is huge although there are only two outside tables. The sangria is amazing-I believe they have a nightly special. Definitely a cool atmosphere and worth a visit if you're in the area.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/27/2014

    Amazing service every time I go which is about once a month. Had many important events here from my college graduation brunch to birthday dinners. The food is OUT OF THIS WORLD along with great customer service.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    8/2/2014

    Went with a big group for a birthday and had a really great time. The veggie paella was great and vegan too! I also enjoyed the bruschetta and spicy potatoes.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/13/2014

    I came here with my mom, grandma, and sisters this past Sunday for Mother's Day.  We had a reservation at 12:30, and good thing because it was pretty busy.  We were sat right away and pleasantly surprised to be offered a table on their patio which definitely made our experience 10x better.  For our group of five the bill was $90 (including a 1/2 pitcher of GREAT mango sangria!), ..much lower than expected!

    Our server was nice and gave us several recommendations on popular dishes - all which were delicious!  We had the garlic shrimp, market salad, empanadas, spicy potatoes, and short rib.  

    My only complaint is the size of the patio -- its only two tables.  We were lucky to have a reservation and walk in at the right time to get one of them, but it'd be great for more people to have this option.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/11/2014

    I've been to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba twice - both times were celebrating a birthday. They were very accommodating to my large group. It was only family but we still had groups of 8-10. I made reservations and the table was ready quickly.
    I most recently was here in October and had a good time. We shared a few pitchers of the blueberry sangria which I highly recommend. The tapas we always get are garlic potato salad, bacon wrapped dates, queso de cabra.
    We had to get a few of each to have everyone leave feeling full but you can't go wrong with the choices. Everything was really tasty!
    I would love to return with a few girlfriends for dinner out. The place is always packed even on week nights.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/1/2012

    Went here for lunch one afterdnoon during my vacation to Chicago, after all that I've heard about their Spanish tapas. First thing that caught my eye on the menu was a little note stating that all charcuterie, cheese, olive oil, rice and spices are imported directly from Spain. Pretty neat!

    A must order here is the Sangria. They have so many flavours, and the 8 of us shared 3 pitchers: White peach, Mango, and Passion Fruit. The Passion fruit was my favourite. Refreshing, fruity, and went well with all our food. So good for the summer!

    Meatballs with sherry tomato sauce ($6) ---Forgettable. Nothing too special.

    Roasted dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette ($6) ---Where to start with this plate. Okay, lets go with the one word : SPECTACULAR. I'm not particularly attracted to dates or bacon (I know I know, I'm a weird one), but this dish was an explosion of delicious. A good flavour balance from the honey sweetened dates, savory crisp bacon, and refreshing tart apples. My friend John quotes: "Worth giving up your first-born child for. THEY ARE THAT GOOD." I'll let you decide how much of that statement is exaggeration and truth.

    Shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes ($8) --- If you like garlic, you will get a real kick out of this dish. Those thin garlic slices are extremely potent, but not overdone when added to the succulent shrimp.

    Spicy potato with tomato alioli ($6) ---Nothing overly special about these potatoes, but the spicy mayo does give it a little extra edge.

    Serrano ham, salchichon, chorizo & manchego ($9)---A great plate of curred meats. I really liked that they weren't overly salty, which is a common characteristic of charcuterie I don't particularly enjoy. Cheese lovers will love the  manchego (a spanish goat milk cheese), so creamy!

    Overall, a great experience! A perfect lunch spot for big groups, and is a place that makes you feel like you can never have too much tapas or sangria pitchers!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/8/2015

    Atmosphere is really cool. Lots of rooms all with an eclectic vibe. There were five in our party and we were seated at a nice round table so seating was comfortable.

    We were offered a restaurant week menu for $30 per person but opted to order off the regular menu. Each person picked one dish in each round and we did two or three rounds.

    Here is my take on some of the dishes we tried.  Don't remember the names but I'll describe what it was.

    Ordered one mini pitcher of red Sangria and it served three ladies. The two guys had one beer each.  Sangria was good enough.
    Spicy Potatoes - a great starter, with a yummy dipping sauce.
    A Lox platter - thinly sliced salmon, capers and sauce and tiny chunks of bread. Okay but not very flavorful. Needed a more robust sauce.
    Empanadas - we tried scallops and chicken. The chicken one was one of my favs of the evening. Very flavorful filling in a crusty puff pastry.
    Majool dates wrapped in bacon - outstanding!
    Salami, prosciutto and swiss cheese platter - nothing special.
    Flank steak pinwheel - terrible, the beef was so tough. It was the only dish that did not get finished. Nobody wanted seconds. After that, we did not try another beef dish.
    Goat cheese in tomato - another excellent choice.
    Desserts - we tried the mini ice cream sandwiches, the macaroon bar and the caramelized bananas. By far the banana dish won in my opinion. It had a crispy layer of torched sugar on the top which really made the dish.

    Our bill was $136 including tip. That's about $30 per person (only one drink per person).  I think you pay for the experience of trying a lot of different dishes. This is not the place for you if you want a filling meal with lots of cocktails. If you do, be prepared to pay for it.

    Overall, I am glad we tried it. Cool place, unique dishes, good service but make a reservations. We made ours three months in advance.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/14/2014
    1 check-in

    I have been trying to get a reservation here for a few weeks now that would make me leave work early at 430 or make me stay up too late till 11pm. Finally my boyfriend got us a reservation at 5 for valentines day. The atmosphere of the place is amazing. Not a huge fan of the long tables that you share with others but there are dividers or big flower fixtures so it was okay. We ordered a half pitcher of the red sangria and it was AMAZING! I sucked it down a little to fast and the rest of the night is a little fuzzy but I've sobered up enough to write this review! We ordered the pork paella which takes 30 minutes so onto Tapas! We got the cheese & spinach stuffed mushrooms first, I do not like mushrooms but I tried one and it was so good! They were cooked to perfection! Not to chewy which is what puts me off about mushrooms in the first place. Then we got the bacon wrapped dates which everyone raves about which I do now as well the perfect combo of sweet and bacon salty. Lastly we got spicy potatoes which were just regular potatoes with a cheese sauce...not something I would order I like to try new things at tapas but the boy friend wanted them. Then the paella came and WOW! So much food! It was delicious and enough to take home for tomorrow's lunch! This place is a little pricey but worth every penny. Try something new since everything is so amazing here you will be pleasantly surprised!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/21/2014

    The food was delicious and the service was just as stellar, never a dirty plate or half filled glass on the table.  The staff was very friendly- the hostess, the servers, and the bussers!  

    The bacon wrapped dates were to die for. Shame on me for not remembering our server's name, he deserves some props for noticing a birthday card I had on the table and taking the initiative in bringing my friend some killer birthday dessert.

    We'll be back for sure!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/5/2014
    1 check-in

    Great tapas and nothing is bad that I have had from short ribs to seared tuna. The deserts are too small and the chocolate cake is just fudge so I would avoid the deserts. My favorite is figs wrapped in bacon because the bacon is always cooked well and the seet figs just melt in your mouth.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/7/2013
    1 check-in

    What an awesome tapas restaurant in the city! This place would be a great place to come with a group or a few friends. Or in my case, new friends (looking at you Angela C!). If you want to see exactly what we ordered check out her review, all I can remember is the highlights (you can thank sangria pitchers for that!) first of all, I didn't think I'd need reservations on a Wednesday but it was packed (45 min wait) We didn't mind waiting because we were drinking the amazing red sangria (if it ain't broke, don't try a crazy flavor right? We stuck with the original!)

    Some of my favorite tapas dishes were the bacon wrapped dates; the flavor is unexplainable but bacon is worked in there so you know it's good. If you are obsessed with goat cheese like I am, get the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce with garlic bread slices. My mouth is watering writing about this.  The spicy potatoes were good but not mind blowing and I could eat the dip that came with the calamari with a ladle.

    Check this place out!! Such a fun atmosphere!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/28/2013

    So full. Can't breathe.

    I love this place! It is always packed, but with the crowd comes a lively, energetic environment...
    *The traditional sangria is excellent, pitcher is a perfect size for 2-3 people
    * spicy potatoes, calamari, bacon wrapped dates, short rib with mashed potatoes, any of the meal and cheese samples, and who doesn't love more cheese... The hot goat cheese in red sauce is to die for as well.
    * the churros are no longer on the menu (sobbing), but they have an excellent flan and a butterscotch (??) dessert that is not to be missed.

    I would come here just to eat the spicy potatoes in that savory sauce and have a glass of sangria at the bar. The food is just consistently that good.

    ~40$ per person or so, but no one will leave hungry or sober

    Fun for groups and dates, not ideal for out of town parents who can't read the menu without a flashlight :-0

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/1/2014

    Service was very good. The waiter was very energetic. I had a party of 11 and was able to be seated with just 4 of us there. The waiter immediately was about to bring out water and bread despite the place being crowded. The empanadas were good, as well as the chicken Pallea. The white flight was only $14, which I thought was a nice deal. Overall, my experience was great. Good food, great service. No complaints

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/16/2015

    excellent service, excellent food, and great atmosphere. definitely a busy place. i went there for a business dinner and we had a great time sharing the tapas and the sangria! i would recommend the spicy potatoes, the tomato bread, and the paella! i dont remember the actual names :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/28/2013
    2 check-ins

    We came to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday.  The service was exceptional!  Every item that we ordered  came quickly to the table.  We were engulfed by our server and a few others when items came out which was helpful when looking for additional items or hoping to order more.

    The red sangria was absolutely delicious.  The pitcher was a great option for a group of five, but could probably accommodate a group of six or seven as well.  The flavors are excellent.

    I wouldn't recommend Cafe for vegetarians necessarily, but pescetarians and meat eaters will be happy.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/3/2014
    1 check-in

    Need a good place to count on for good tapas and great service? This is the place. This is the spot we come to time and again and its quality stays the same.

    When I went with my friends on a Thursday night, it was pretty packed. They didn't let us sit until half our party was here which is a pretty reasonable request (unlike those other restaurants that won't seat us til the whole group is present).  

    Our party was pretty big, so it was kind of a hassle when it came to ordering and paying the bill but our waiter was very patient. He also let each of us use the check-in deal (free dessert tapas). Sweet. Like my coconut flan. All of the desserts were on the sweeter side.

    As for the food, I've had better tapas. We got the Paella Valenciana and the seafood Paella. The verdict was split between the two on which was better but it seemed if you liked seafood you liked the seafood paella. We also got the bacon wrapped dates which I think was the better deal than the Pintxos version where you only get one for $2. The endive, blue cheese, walnut salad was too acidic for my taste and it took awhile for that dish to go away. The other dishes weren't that memorable unfortunately. That's why I give it a 4 out of 5.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/28/2014

    Wanted to try out a decent tapas place and this was definitely it! Everything we ordered was super yummy. Good for a date night or even for a larger crowd. Checking in got us a free dessert :-)

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/18/2014

    My husband and I LOVE this place. We love the roast dates with bacon, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, and braised short rib! This is the perfect date night spot. Must have reservations on weekend unless you are okay sitting at the bar. We are not fans of the sangria (not because it isn't good!) because it isn't very strong. We have ordered wine based off waiter recommendations and have always been happy!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/1/2014

    Best Tapas restaurant I've been to.  Great diverse menu, solid service and the best Sangria in town.  I suggest the bacon wrapped dates, scallops and the short rib.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/15/2013

    The sangria here is fantastic, and perhaps the best thing about it. I had a few really yummy one-bites, but other than that, I think the paella is worth not having. The prices weren't so bad, and again, the sangria was worth the trip.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/22/2014

    Oh, how I love this place.  Everything is delicious - the goat cheese, the fried calamari, garlic potato salad and killer sangria!  If I do recall, they have valet at a reasonable 10 dollars.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/11/2013

    Some friends and I started a Food Club where we explore different cuisines once a quarter. Before you think "Wow a food club. how impressive." It's not impressive at all. It's just a group of friends that want to eat, drink and try new places. Our 3rd official club meeting was this past weekend at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. We made rezzy's for 10 but of course 3 people bailed within 15 minutes of the time we planned to leave. The restaurant was really nice and didn't get huffy when we explained that a few people bailed at the last minute. Our service was phenomenal from start to finish. One thing that I especially appreciated here versus where we went last weekend (Girl and the Goat) is that you can order your tapas 1 at a time, whereas G&G they make you order everything all at once. There is no rush to get you out the door here. In fact, we were there well over 2 hours and the waitress didn't seem bothered by it at all.

    What we ordered:
    -1/2 pitcher of Peach sangria. At $14, it was a steal. One glass of Sangria is $7 and I think I got at least 4-5 drinks out of the pitcher. Tasted phenomenal.
    -Goat Cheese Croqueta Pintxo. A one-biter that was okay but I probably wouldn't order again.
    -Deviled Egg with Bacon Pintxo. Why don't my deviled eggs taste that good? So fluffy and airy. I wish I could figure out the secret ingredient!
    -Spicy potatoes with tomato aioli. Pretty good but they taste like fried potatoes that I make at home. The tomato aioli was good, but not sure if I would get these again. My friend had these before and said she remembered them being better -- maybe it was just an off night?
    -Rioja braised short ribs w/ mashed potatoes. So yummy! The mashed potatoes tasted like white cheddar mashed potatoes and were the perfect compliment to the tender, juicy short ribs.
    -Beef skewer and horseradish sauce. This was my favorite thing that WE ordered. The beef was extremely moist and the flavoring on the beef went perfect with the horseradish.  
    -Serrano ham, salchichon, chorizo and manchengo. This was a cold plate of meat which we didn't realize when we ordered it. If we ordered it first, it would have been a great start, but we ordered it last so it was a let down.

    What I tried but didn't order myself:
    -Bacon wrapped dates- definitely my favorite of the night and a shame that I didn't trust the reviews and order them. Super tender and soft and one of those foods you could eat the entire plate and then order another.
    -Fried calimari with jalapeno aioli. I've never had calimari with anything other than marinara so this was a pleasant surprise. It wasn't greasy at all but still very flavorful. Another dish that I wish I ordered.
    -Roasted Chicken empanada. Pretty good and about what you can expect of an empanada, but compared to all of the other awesome dishes it wasn't brag worthy.
    -Goat cheese baked in tomato sauce. This looked interesting when it came out and seeing the big ball of cheese in the center of some sauce made me apprehensive that it wasnt going to be special. It actually was very VERY good.

    Dessert:

    -Carmelized banana w/ toasted pistachios. Yummy! It was torched in the same manner as creme brulee so you got a nice crunchy topping along with the nuts.
    -Butterscotch custard cream. Me and several others at the table enjoyed this the most. It's basically custard with homemade butterscotch on top.
    -Churros with cinnamon and chocolate dipping sauces. I didn't order this but someone else at the table did. It was pretty good, but probably my least favorite out of all 3 desserts I tried.

    I was overwhelmingly impressed by everything that I tried. Nothing I tasted was BAD and I tasted a good portion of the menu. Our bill for food, dessert, tax and tip was around $70 which included 2 desserts, 4 tapas, and 3 pintxos. Drinks were separate as we purchased those at the bar before dinner.

    Only downfall of the whole experience is that the women's bathroom is TINY. Two girls were waiting in line before I entered and there really was no room for 3 girls to stand. There's also only one sink, so it made it incredibly awkward as I tried to brush my teeth after dinner and even got a few oral hygiene jokes made at my expense.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/21/2015

    One of my favorite restaurants in the city!  Awesome food and service! I have tried almost everything on the menu and I've never been disappointed. Their peach sangria is delicious. A few of my favorite menu items are the steak, empanadas, and spicy potatoes. I get the bacon wrapped dates every time. I also love their stuffed mushrooms.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/13/2014
    1 check-in

    I brought my dinner group here from NYC when we were visiting Chicago, the food was fantastic, the staff was on point, and best part about it, my members loved the place.. I was a bit worried about a Tapas place for my group as they tend to be picky about their meals (we are a dinner group) but they LOVED it, which made my life much easier. Great for large parties.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/30/2014

    Love love love this place!  Excellent food, drinks and great service.  Sangria was amazing, the garlic shrimp was delicious. The paella was my favorite.  Will recommend this place always.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/13/2014

    We were lucky enough to get an early dinner reservation at 6:30 on Black Friday evening. Great interior and atmosphere, very friendly and competent wait staff. We tried mostly seafood tapas and they all were very tasty. The three bite size "appetizers" (forgot how they are called officially) we tried were phenomenal. What's best, the food is done without the overdose of salt you occasionally find at top places like Girl and the Goat. Will definitely be back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/13/2014
    6 check-ins

    When I say things like "those meatballs tho" or "those potatoes tho," I'm talking specifically about one place, and one place only: Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba or Babareebs for short.

    I have tried most everything on the menu, and love the consistency of their amazing service and great flavors in each of their dishes.

    Going at least 10 times a year, I recently went to their New Years Eve brunch. It pains me to broadcast this, for fear that it might put a damper on my own future reservation plans, but I recommend that everyone on planet earth goes to this brunch. In addition to their staple menu items, they also offer tasty bloody mary's and some of the best french toast that I have ever had the privilege of trying.

    This place is perfect for a great night with the girls, date nights, or even with the family.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/9/2013

    I have been here twice now. The first time, I had a free pitcher of sangria AND dessert due to a lapse in service. The second time, service was much better.

    This is a great place to come with a group of friends or with a date! I love the paella, grilled octopus, and bacon wrapped dates :) I get hungry just thinking about it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/17/2013

    This is one of my favorite places to eat in Lincoln Park! Yes, it is one of the more well known and "touristy" places in that area, but the food is anything but!

    I love the hard boiled eggs, the rib entree and the sangria.  I've also gotten a few different specials in the past, and have never been disappointed by those either.  If you are looking for a brunch or Happy Hour place this is perfect!  Go in a big group and share a wide variety of choices.

    They're also a great stop on New Years Day, as they have a "Pajama Brunch" where you get gift cards just for wearing your PJs into the restaurant :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/7/2014
    1 check-in

    Loved the food and the variety. Everything was delicious. The waiter was among the best.
    We made a reservation, but at 5 pm, it wasn't busy.
    The only thing was that we ordered the paella which was supposed to be to serve two, we were told. We had two orders.

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/28/2014

    I've heard so many wonderful things about this place so I was very excited to try it for my birthday. I love tapas, trying new places and I can drink sangria with the best of them. We went with a group of 4 so we tried quite a few dishes and multiple pitchers of sangria.

    The only thing that stood out was the dates wrapped in bacon - but let's be honest, everything wrapped in bacon is amazing. The sangria - I had about 4-5 glasses and didn't even have a buzz. Did they forget to put the alcohol in? It was my birthday, I wanted a buzz. Kind of disappointing. I've had way better Sangria.

    Overall the atmosphere was nice and the service was good. Just don't think i'll be back any time soon - i'll try another Spanish tapas place first.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/14/2014

    I shouldn't have snubbed it all those years, thinking it was a tourist trap.  I should have trusted Lettuce Entertain You all along!  Great flavor and great sharing.  (Or be greedy and don't share; either way.)

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/6/2013
    1 check-in

    I have been to Ba-Ba-Reeba on a date night, friend reunion, to treat my mom on mother's day and to celebrate birthdays. Both dinner and brunch were fabulous.

    I would definitely suggest to check-in on foursquare as you get a free pintxo. Throughout all the times I've been for dinner, I've learned you can never go without their red sangria. You don't realize it at first, but after a few sips, it does you in for the night. The tortilla, patatas bravas (the BEST choice, esp for that damn good sauce), stuffed mushrooms, goat cheese baked in tomato, the calamari and octopus are all phenomenal.

    For brunch (which I recently discovered), the french toast pintxo is AMAZING. You will need to order about 3 because you can't get enough of the divine, perfectly-textured stick. The vanilla yogurt pintxo is sweet and solid but the short stack pancake pintxo is just ok. Potato and egg bite was heavenly as well as their spinach and artichoke crepe. I have always been seated promptly (with reservations) and service is on point. I can't wait to find another excuse to go back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/6/2015
    1 check-in

    just good

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/12/2014

    Long before my husband and I were engaged we had many conversations over where we would host our wedding reception.  We had decided that neither of us wanted a 200+ people wedding in a gigantic ballroom or banquet hall.  We wanted something much smaller with great food but with nothing in particular in mind.  Then one day while we were enjoying dinner at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba we saw a bride walk out of the private event in one the rooms.  Immediately a light bulb went off and we turned to each other.  It was so obvious.  Why not share with our wedding guest our favorite restaurant?

    Fast forward to our wedding day on September 2014.  We hosted a lunch wedding reception at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for 55 guests.  We worked with Alison and Michelle from Catering, Parties & Special Events.  They made it so easy to plan our reception. They answered all of my questions incredibly fast and were so accommodating.  It could not have been any easier.  

    On the wedding day the staff was really responsive and wonderful.  The food and sangria was delicious as always.  My guests really enjoyed the food and drink and had a great time.  Most importantly, my husband and I had the wedding reception we had hoped for.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/10/2014
    1 check-in

    Fantastic food, drinks, and service!!! The price is a little more than other tapas restaurants. That is why you are getting what you pay for. The best dish to share was by far the seafood paella! It was huge to share with six people was enough! It had lots of flavor and tasted excellent! The best small dish was the bacon wrapped dates! Anything wrapped with bacon is so good! The small portions of different dishes were very flavorful and had excellent taste! Get anything on the menu is great! Service was good, even with a party of 15. I was surprised! All of the drinks were excellent too! No complaints here! I would come here again and again!

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/1/2014

    This is a really fun place for groups and the tapas are very tasty.  The goat cheese (queso de cabra) is always a favorite and the dates are very good as well.  Be prepared to wait or select a late-night reservation but the atmosphere is fun and it will be a great night out.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/14/2014

    Great place to eat, great wine list, amazing service.  only cons - very crowded on a sat night.

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/13/2014
    Listed in AHH'LL BE BAHHCK

    Been here a few times and the food is always very solid.  Went again last night with a group of friends to celebrate the bf and a couple of others' birthdays and again, food was on par with what I remembered it being--delicious.

    BUT the downgrade to 2 stars comes from the service.  Never have I ever had service this bad and rude.

    1. Our server seemed annoyed as soon as she saw that we were a larger group (7 people).

    2. She didn't come around much once the food was brought out.  The bus boys did a better job at serving us than she did.

    3. She constantly rolled her eyes at us when we asked her questions about anything.

    4. The reason why it goes from 4 to 2 stars: The bf and I ordered a beef empanadas as did two of our other friends.  When the first order came out, we gave it to our friends and we waited.  When we noticed they weren't coming out, we flagged down our server and asked her if there was only one order or two orders of the beef empanadas.  When she told us that there was only one, the bf called out our friends and loudly called them "assholes."  Now, I understand that profanity can be a bit much at dinner, especially if it's said pretty loudly, but the entire restaurant was buzzing and we had to speak a little louder even for regular conversations to be heard.  As soon as the bf called our friends assholes for taking the one order, he quickly ordered another.  As the server was walking away, she gave us the biggest stank eye I've ever received in my adult life and apologized to the table next to us.  Let me repeat that: SHE APOLOGIZED TO THE TABLE NEXT TO US.  Umm, I'm sorry.  Are we children?  Are we not allowed to swear in a public setting?  Even when she apologized, the guy didn't know what she was apologizing for, looked confused and said, "it's okay...?" as she walked away.

    Absolutely love the food and ambiance here, but this horrendous service has turned me off of Ba-Ba-Reeba for a while.  Not saying we won't be back, but we'll for sure request a different server if we get her again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/9/2013
    1 check-in

    Usual tapas. Not a fan of their endive salad, everything else was amazing! Sangria was awesome!
    Patatas bravas were great! Because of the yelp check in we got an appetizer platter or something like that. It was actually very nice!
    I would definitely go back again!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/20/2014

    I have been to Cafe BaBa Reeba a handful of times and love that you can try a huge variety of items for a great price.

    On my last visit, we were with a group of 14 people for a birthday party. We had a reservation and arrived about 10 minutes early for our reso. Our reservation time came and passed, and we waited an extra 20-30 min. to be seated. No big deal since we had a large party (with some children).

    Danielle was our server and she was super attentive and made great recommendations for the table. She brought the food out as it was ready, and everything was delicious! Even better, she kept the sangria coming, just like we wanted. With such a diverse age-range group, I imagine it was tough for her to keep up with our demands ( think "sippy cups! more sangria! more bacon wrapped dates! even more bacon wrapped dates and refill the sippy cup while you're at it!)", but she was great.

    Overall, I would definitely come back with a group. We had a great time, and completely forgot about the extra wait because the service and food was amazing.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    10/6/2014

    The food was amazing, the service was on point, and the sangria was delicious. The server gave recommendations that we followed for about half the ordered food and he was spot on. I am not a person that likes fruit in food typically but the bacon wrapped dates are a must try. When ordering the Sangria, I would say go for the full pitcher. It is so delicious that you will most certainly want at least two glasses.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/7/2014

    We booked a reservation for a Friday date night dinner.  We were seated on time and the staff was both inviting and friendly.  The environment is lively, lots of food coming out of the kitchen and the appropriate amount of service at the table.

    Dinner was fantastic, we ordered 2 tapas each and we were not disappointed!  I loved the calamari.

    I thought the pricing was reasonable, two drinks, an appetizer and 4 tapas totaled $50.00.

    I would highly encourage a reservation as the restaurant was busy on Friday night.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/16/2013
    2 check-ins

    Huge fan!

    We had a large group for dinner (7 of us).  Daniel was our server and he was awesome.  Very sarcastic, engaging and did a great job with making sure we had a steady amount of drinks.

    For the food.  We had the spicy potatoes, fried green pepper roasted with salt, grilled squid, grilled salmon, beef empanadas, chicken and chorizo skewers and seafood paella.  We ordered the paella right when sat down - major tip because it can take 30-40 min to make.

    For me their paella is amazing.  It's what has me coming back all the time.  In fact this place is a must for me every time we come back. The spicy potatoes was also a favorite and everyone at the table loved it too (to the point where we had to order 2 more!).

    Overall food is amazing and their drinks (especially the sangria) are yummy.  Great spot for dinner, dates and groups!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/27/2014

    I've been to Cafe ibérico many times and was recommended here. Absolutely impressed!  Great food, great drinks, great pricee! Looking forward to my next visit.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/28/2014
    1 check-in

    Really good tapas! Quite pricy and small portions but the food is really delicious! You pay for the quality for sure! Recommended!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/13/2013
    1 check-in

    Don't forget to check-in on Yelp.  You can get a free tapas dessert.

    portions are small, but they are delicious.  a little bit pricey, but what can you expect.

    if you are a student, then find somewhere else to eat.  if you work and have pretty good financial background, come here and enjoy the meal.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/2/2014

    I absolutely love this place!! Great atmosphere, fantastic food.  We try to get here every time we are in Chicago.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/16/2013

    Found this gem on Yelp and all that loved it were right to do so.  We sat and had drinks with friends before dinner.  Bar is nice and it had character,  which I love.  I had a mojito and my wife a sangria,  but were better than average.   In fact the sangria was off the hook.  We ended up getting a pitcher of it and than a pitcher of the raspberry sangria afterwards.   We started out with their appetizer plate and I highly recommend it.  $11 for 6 small bites.  Highlights were the stuffed date rolled in chorizo and the stuffed pepper.  For dinner they had a special pork belly and all I can say is I am hooked.  

    We are foodies and we rarely go back to the same place twice when we go on vacation.  I can say for sure, next time we are in Chicago, we will be making reservation.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/25/2014 Updated review
    1 check-in

    First time trying a tapas bar and I was not disappointed. The menu is very big and everything is of high quality.  We went there with a group of about 20 people so we were able to try a lot of different things,  the bacon wrapped dates definitely took me by surprise like I said everything is very unique.  I would love to try every item they have on the menu one day.  If you haven't been to a tapas place then this is a must go

    5.0 star rating
    7/24/2014 Previous review
    First time trying a tapas bar and I was not disappointed. The menu is very big and everything is of… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    10/2/2014
    3 check-ins

    Amazing tapas!! The sangria is a must :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/22/2014

    What can I say... I love me some tapas! My friend and I came here on a busy Friday night and started out with an awesome pitcher of white peach sangria! We then continued to enhale the following: chorizo-wrapped medjool date & cheese; catalan bread with ripe tomato, garlic (so simple but yet my favorite!); house-marinated spanish olives; patatas bravas (awesome tomato alioli!); and fried calamari. So many calories - but complete worth it!!! Must visit again soon...

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/6/2014
    4 check-ins

    Great ambience for dinner and brunch.  The entrees and the tapas are delicious and the drinks are also great.  The entrees are a little pricey, so my boyfriend and I typically get a tapas platter, possibly two and leave satisfied.  I go as often as I can, and if you haven't tried it, you should!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/27/2013

    The paella at the ba-ba-reeba is the bomb. So good here. Try the chk, pork, and veggie paella.  Start the the pintxo platter where you can taste the short rib and deep fried goat cheese. The best. Add the large selection of Spanish wine (I had the wine special at $7/glass) or the red sangria and it's a party dude.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/4/2013 Updated review
    2 check-ins

    After having dined here a few months back with my husband, I wrote a review about our not-so-stellar experience. We were unimpressed and likely would not return. Immediately after posting my review, I was contacted by a manager at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. He was very receptive to the feedback I had provided and assured me our experience did not live up to their standards. He invited us back to give them another try. We redeemed his offer Saturday night and are happy to say we were really enjoyed our dinner.

    Unfortunately we didn't start off well since we waited 40 minutes to be seated even though we had a reservation. We weren't seated until my husband went and inquired about it to the host and apparently they had overlooked our names and were seating people with 8:45 reservations even though ours was at 8:00. We were not feeling optimistic to start. One of the managers working there stopped by once we were seated to apologize and in fact bought our pitcher of sangria, which was so nice that all was forgiven.

    Our service was good, the food was delicious, and it was well timed. Stand out dishes we thought were the lamb kebobs, meatballs, bacon wrapped dates and the endive and blue cheese salad. The last dish seriously I want to eat an entree size portion of it right this second it was so good. We also tried the sangria of the day, pomegranate, and it was amazing.

    The customer service at this restaurant in and of itself deserves 5 stars. We had some bad luck here but it didn't go unnoticed, and management bent over backwards to make our experience something positive. That is huge in my book.

    I'm already looking forward to my next visit. In particular, the endive salad.

    3.0 star rating
    10/6/2012 Previous review
    My husband and I went here Thursday night since we had a $50 gift card for Lettuce Entertain You.… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    2/9/2015

    I've been here a few times, with big groups and one on one. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. It's the only place I would be just as happy to go for brunch with my girlfriends, a dinner date, and a big dinner with a large group. It's affordable, filling, and delicious. The staff is courteous, fun, and charming. I absolutely love this place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/12/2014

    Never before had Tapas, nor have I had any Paella (except for a very meh tasting one back in the suburbs at a buffet). So when my friend suggested we go and try Paella I jumped at the chance.

    For tapas I ordered the citrus-cured salmon. It was very powerful with the citrus taste mostly from the creama. The capers and pickled cucumber and radish accentuate this further. I was really expecting such a taste honestly, but I did enjoy it thoroughly

    The Paella requires a minimum of two people and you have to order assuming both parties or more wants that specific Paella, so no mixing and matching from what we could tell. We ordered the seafood one, the meat included is entirely seasonal/availability based. So ours came with Shrimp and Scallops and green beans and with a side of Garlic Aioli and Lemon. The taste was amazing and probably the best smelling dish in the whole room. The best part is the bits that stuck onto the pan, the waiter made sure to every bit onto our plates.

    Take note that the dish is very heavy, sometimes you might not even want to order your tapas if you just want the Paella.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/20/2013

    My friend and I were shopping in Lincoln Park, and decided to stop here for a late lunch because I'd heard great things about the food from multiple people. The restaurant was still full at around 2-3pm, so they offered to seat us at the bar. BIGGEST MISTAKE. Since the bar is near the exit of the kitchen, separated from the main dining area, service was extremely slow. From the beginning, we had to flag down the busboys to alert the waiter to even give us our menus. This continued throughout our meal, and we barely ever saw our waiter unless he was placing the dish on our table.
    Also, they were having some catering event that day, so behind our seats there were waiters rushing out of the kitchen moving around heavy trays and carts. Not only was it consistently loud, but we were bumped into more than a few times. Not exactly my ideal dining environment.

    If I were only reviewing the food, however, I'd give the restaurant 4 stars. We ordered the Baked goat cheese (#32), Bacon wrapped dates (#67), and Paella Valenciana. I usually order these three dishes at every tapas place I visit, and Cafe-Ba-Ba-Reeba measured up to the others. Though everything was pretty good, I definitely prefer the bacon-wrapped dates at Tapas Barcelona or Avec.

    OVERALL: If you're not sitting at the bar (but rather, in the main dining area), you'll probably enjoy this place. Definitely order the baked goat cheese and paella valenciana. I don't think I'll come back just because there are so many other tapas restaurants to try in Chicago.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/17/2014

    We decided to try out this tapas restaurant based on the good reviews and went to this restaurant on a friday night. The restaurant is really nice, friendly staff and good food. The only reason we didn't give it 5 stars is because the tapas came out one little plate at a time with long waiting periods in between the other plates. So we would finish one tapas and then fill up on bread waiting for the next. We have been to many other tapas restaurants before and we would usually get at least two to three dishes brought out at once and then the remaining shortly after.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/11/2014

    5 years ago, just moved into the city for the first day, I went to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba never having tried tapas before....

    ...since then I have gone there at least on over 30 occasions all throughout the years; great place for dinner and delicious margaritas in the summer.

    As for food, these are the most common choices even if you're a picky eater:

    #05: Deviled Egg
    #30: Spicy Potatoes w/ Tomato Alioli *great for groups
    #32: Goat Cheese Baked in Tomato Sauce
    #53: Meatballs
    #62: Chicken Empanada *ideal for two

    The service has been prompt a majority of the time. I was surprised that one of the managerial staff, Mia K, came by the table to exchange a few words and make sure we were having a pleasant experience.

    Yet another great Lettuce Entertain You establishment to add to their glowing portfolio.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/18/2014

    Food was decent. It took a long time for our table to be ready. it was really crowded but I guess that tells you that it is very popular. The food was great.

  • 2.0 star rating
    10/29/2013 Updated review
    1 check-in

    So despite several prior mediocre meals at this place I decided to give it another try for brunch. Sadly, as much as I really really want to like this place, it just isn't good. I mean come on, how hard is it to do brunch? Omelets, pancakes, bacon - I mean is that really so difficult? Apparently, it is for this place. Everyone's omelets just weren't right. One had way too much chorizo, another one was missing half of the promised ingredients.  And then the service was terrible. The waitress had no clue what ingredients were in what dishes and didn't bother to ask the chef when we had questions. She never came to check on us and was just generally oblivious. The only redeeming thing about this brunch was the French toast with berries, which was great.  I definitely do not plan on returning here any time soon.  I swear the atmosphere is the only thing this place has going for it.

    2.0 star rating
    8/17/2011 Previous review
    I was very underwhelmed by Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  The sangria was good, but that's about the only good… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    7/16/2014
    4 check-ins

    Great gluten free menu!! Even with desserts. I enjoyed the sangria pitchers and the paella is to die for. Great for big groups or intimate nights. Perfect to take someone out of town to. Happy hour at the bar only from 4-6pm on the weekdays.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/28/2013

    Even though we had wait a while to be seat the experience was a good one and the staff made up for the wait with a free desert.  I love the ambiance and the food was great definitely one of my favorite spots .

  • 1.0 star rating
    5/12/2014

    Usually an amazing experience. Horrible waitress named Susan. Bad service, rude comments and just put a damper on my day. I only come here a few times a year and  it was such a let down to be treated that way. I'm not sure I will be coming back anytime soon unfortunately.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/31/2014

    This is a place I would venture out to again just to try some other dishes. Firstly, the service was great. The place was packed and everyone seemed to be having a blast!

    Now let's get to the food:

    Goat cheese baked in tomato sauce: LOVED this! Will definitely order this again!

    Fried calamari: not big into fried things, but it was good if you do like fried things. The sauce with this dish was good.

    Spicy potatoes: good, a little on the greasy side for me and not at all spicy.

    Seafood Paella: worth trying, but probably not something I'd order again from here.

    Only actual negative thing I have to say is that the menus were really oily and had food stuck to them. The waitress replaced them with new ones which also had oil and food stuck to them. Just makes me wonder about cleanliness, which is a big thing for me.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/30/2014
    1 check-in

    In terms of tapas, this is the best I've ever had! Everything is so flavorful and fresh.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/2/2015

    Food was excellent per usual. Staff was attentive.  Sat in the atrium and was surprisingly quiet for this restaurant... Though it was a Wednesday. Definitely a favorite in Chicago!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/14/2014

    I have been going here for years.  I can easily point out the negatives but too many positive out weigh any negatives.  Love all the different types of sangria and just love their tapas.  Place is always busy in the evenings, if you can eat earlier to avoid the crowds.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/16/2014

    Friend of mine told me about this place.
    Great little unique place for Chicago.
    Tapas Tapas Tapas, this is what you should be having along with a few drinks. A very busy little place, but they sure do move in there, never waiting too long. A great atmosphere with great food, what more could you ask for? Coming from Arizona, it was great to see a place with such authenticity so far deep into the states away from the southern border. WELL DONE!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/10/2014

    Mmm, bacon wrapped dates...(mouth salivating)

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/19/2014
    1 check-in

    My twin and I decided to make Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba our dinner destination for our sister's small bachelorette party (we were four in total). We made a reservation for 7:30 on Saturday. I called the morning of and asked if they could surprise our table with a dessert--"anything with chocolate" was my description. The manager not only agreed, but promised an assortment of desserts on the house. He was true to his word!! This was really superior service for the restaurant.

    Our waiter, Josh A, was simply the best. He was helpful with suggestions (always necessary at a tapas restaurant) and checked in regularly to see how we were doing. He didn't even mind when we included him in our bachelorette games! (They we're tame, I promise.)

    Tapas we enjoyed: Brussels sprouts, stuffed mushrooms, short rib, octopus, shrimp, moorish chicken, and pork belly paella. And of course a pitcher of black raspberry sangria (a little too sweet but still good). The octopus, never my go-to dish, was so delicious! Glad we expanded our horizons :)

    Oh, and the desserts...oh my god. My sister got a flight of three desserts. The butterscotch pudding was so good we ordered extras for the rest of us!!! I highly recommend the butterscotch pudding.

    All in all, great food, great service, great evening!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/9/2013

    I recently ate here with 3 other friends, and really enjoyed my experience! We made reservations since it was a Saturday night, which I highly recommend since the place was packed. We started out with a full pitcher of their red sangria and a half pitcher of their white peach sangria. Both were delicious. Next the bread came, and even that was delicious. It was the perfect combination of crusty and soft.

    For our tapas, we ordered the shrimp with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes (#44), very delicious. We also ordered the calamari (#45), which is some of the best calamari I've ever had. It wasn't too greasy, making you feel too full.  We also ordered the grilled salmon with herb almond pesto (#47), also very tasty. We also ordered the spicy potatoes with tomato aioli (#30) which I loved! The sauce that came with this one was to die for. We also ordered the rioja-braised short ribs with mashed potatoes (#51) Oh my goodness, the meat was so tender that it melted in your mouth. The mashed potatoes appeared bland but were jam-packed with flavor! We also ordered the spinach and manchego-stuffed mushrooms (#31), which I liked even though I don't like mushrooms. Lastly we ordered the paella with shrimp, scallops, green beans, and cherry tomatoes -- yum!

    For dessert, we ordered the caramelized banana, marcona almond-caramel bar, chocolate truffle cake, and mango sorbet. All were absolutely delcious, but my favorites were the chocolate truffle cake followed by the marcona almond-caramel bar.

    The service from our server and busboys was also great. For that much food, our bill was a little more than $100, which is great! I'll be back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/17/2014
    1 check-in

    Fun vibe, great service and many unique options. Order the bacon wrapped dates! Our group of 20 was very happy!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/30/2014

    Sangria at a steal and a variety of choices! It's easy to over-order here! My favorite dish was the bacon wrapped dates, followed by the steak. This is a true tapas place. We enjoyed our meal at a huge round table and chatted until close. I give a 4 on food, 3.5 on service, and. 3.5 on ambiance.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/8/2014
    1 check-in

    This was seriously the best food I've had since living in this city! I've been here multiple times but after this last time I had to leave a review. The food is always fantastic, the sangria is the best tasting as well as the best deal in the city. But I always had the best server/waitress. Lindsay was amazing, super nice to us all, explained everything to my friends who had never been there before and even hooked us up with some free desserts! If you guys have other staff half as good as her you're going to always have happy customers! I can't wait to come back again!!

    Your tapas and sangria is great
    So much food to fill my small plate
    The atmosphere's a blast
    The good times always last
    And Lindsay was so awesome to me and my bro date!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/29/2014
    1 check-in

    I always love this place.  The white peach sangria is so tasty.  The food makes for a really nice social experience.  The table spacing is comfortable.  The wait-staff is solid, and the bathrooms are clean.  Always good

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/25/2014

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is an absolute blast.

    I had the pleasure of dining here with several friends this past week and we were all blown away by the food, service, and atmosphere. I have been to several tapas restaurants in the Chicago area and have to say that CBBR has one of the most accessible menus, with items that will please both the experienced and novice diner.

    We started out with a pitcher of sangria (obviously) before diving into the food. The sangria was good, not to mention you get 8 full glasses for $21! We decided against ordering paella, preferring to get as much variety thru the small plates as possible. We ordered the brussel sprout salad, spicy tomatoes, braised short rib, shrimp with garlic, pork belly skewer, and the bacon wrapped dates. Each dish was excellent, I would challenge anyone to come up with a criticism! For me, the braised short rib stole the show, but I'd put every other dish at a close second. We finished up our meal with a few dessert selections, which were a bit lackluster compared to the entree plates (-1/2 star). The other half star goes to the noise level, which was quite high, although some areas of the restaurant may be better than others.

    Overall, CBBR has definitely been added to my list of favorites in Chicago. Fantastic food at a great price, doesn't get much better than that! Tip: make a reservation, this place is always busy.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/3/2013
    Listed in The Yelp 100 List

    This review is for brunch.

    In general, I am not a fan of Spanish food.  But friends of ours were coming into the City to come here for restaurant week, so we joined them for sangria before their reservation.  (I do love sangria, the Spaniards definitely got that right!)

    I did not plan to eat since we were having sangria in the middle of the afternoon, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a brunch menu.  I had the city vegetable omelet, and it was perfect.  It was pack full of fresh veggies, wasn't greasy, and didn't have any cheese.  That was better than I make at home, which is hard to do since I get to control all of the ingredients at home.

    We were sitting in the bar area, which was comfortable.  The bartender was nice and very quick!

    I think this place is pretty pricey, but that's general true of tapas places.  However that is my only complaint

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/22/2014

    Best tapas I've had in Chicago! The bacon wrapped dates, vegetable pot pie (brunch menu, yes I said brunch tapas), and the paella were highlights.

    No matter how much you've eaten here you have to get some desserts. I first was there with my parents and my dad scoffed at the butterscotch pudding on the menu so the waiter brought one for him to try with our other desserts. It's amazing!!! They are small bite desserts, just the right amount after a big meal.

    I've always had good service here. It is always packed so make sure you have a reservation. I've been at least five times and it never disappoints.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/1/2014
    2 check-ins

    Finally my first tapas experience! I'm so glad it was at Ba Ba Reeba. I met a fellow yelp friend here on a Wednesday night for dinner and sangria. This place is huge and it filled up quickly. There were many large tables and you could tell this was a very popular place for large group parties but my girlfriend and I felt just as comfortable on our own. We ordered sangria, a few small plates, paella, and dessert small plates. My favorites of the meal were the spicy potatoes and the short rib. The short rib was perfectly tender and the sauce on those potatoes was the bomb. Since we both checked in on yelp we received two complimentary dessert tapas and our waitress gave us a third complementary one since she wanted us to try all her favorites. So nice!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    7/25/2014

    This place is fantastic. Try the Sangria. I love the portions, perfect sharing size

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/29/2014

    I loved this place. I'm new to Chicago and have been trying to try new restaurants and this is by far my favorite of what I have tried so far. I would definitely recommend making reservations. I went on a Thursday and it was packed. The spicy potatoes and beef tenderloin are must tries! Also loved the sangria! I'll be going back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/23/2013
    1 check-in

    LOVED  THIS PLACE
    Peach Sangria is amazing. I HIGHLY recommend getting the platter has a little bit of everything.
    Super romantic setting.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/29/2014
    1 check-in

    We had a reservation and they didnt seat us until 25 mins after our reservation.  We also ordered a lot of different food but they bring it out at random so if you dont share with the table your food might be the last two like mine was.  I waited about an hour before i got a single thing i ordered which was ok because we shared everything but it would have been nice to have what i ordered with the rest of the table.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/8/2014
    1 check-in

    Nice place for brunch/tapas. Lots of vegetarian options. The Bloody Mary bar looked tempting and fresh. Large round table was very nice for conversation among a group of 7. We ordered just about everything that was vegetarian, plus the calamari and enjoyed every dish.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/17/2013
    4 check-ins

    What can I say that the other 1,000+ reviewers haven't?!

    Amazing atmosphere, Phenomenal sangrias, Orgasmic Food!!

    The first time I came here was with my best friend during Restaurant Week. We loved it so much! We were able to try so many of their dishes because of the Restaurant Week Set Up. A note: I was not that impressed by the Paellas, but this could be because by the time it came to us, we were completely stuffed.

    Since my first time was such a great experience, my boyfriend took me again last night and it was as amazing as the first time! Even my boyfriend who I claim is a "Food Snob" really enjoyed all of the place!

    Some Key dishes to try:
    - Chorizo Wrapped Medjool Date & Cheese- So Good!
    -Sweet Potato Bravas, pomegrante Alioli- This is amazing, so much better than the Spicy Potatoes
    - Roasted Dates with Bacon and Apple Vinaigrette
    - Skewered Chicken and Chorizo Sausage

    Highly Recommended. Enjoy! :)

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/14/2013
    1 check-in

    Nice place but not impressed by any of the food

    I think the best tapa we ordered was the spinach & manchego stuffed mushrooms. The meatballs with sherry tomato sauce was okay, and the grilled chicken skewer with zucchini almond pesto was okay too but the chicken was dry. Overall I thought the place was overpriced.

    The four of us shared our bite sized desserts because yelp had an amazing offer (one free dessert per guest) and we immensely enjoyed the butterscotch custard cream (great for a a sweet tooth) followed by the vanilla orange flan (SOOOO delicous!) then the banana caramelized banana and lastly the mango sorbet. If I based my rating on the desserts alone I would have given this place 4 stars but based on the more savory tapas...just 2. =/

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/13/2014

    This place deserves a solid 4 stars. They do the basics well and that's certainly important, but there are some definite misses on the menu as well. Our go-to's include:

    - gambas al ajillo (shrimp is cooked perfectly. every. time.)
    - seafood paella
    - fried calamari
    - brussel sprout salad
    - red sangria

    Items we have ordered that were so-so or not good were the grilled octopus, roasted vegetables, bacon wrapped dates, pork skewer, deviled eggs, and garlic potato salad.

    Ambience is lively, service is generally good though we have had some issues with undercooked paella (which took an extra 20 minutes to cook...not great when you are dining with a toddler) and items left off of our order. Servers are always friendly, and the hostesses are very sweet.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/10/2013

    Went on a weeknight, I believe it was a Wednesday night.  Half off on bottles of wine! Bonus.  Food was excellent and not terribly expensive for tapas.  Everything we ordered was tasty.  Had the roasted peppers, sweet potato, potato salad, scallops, octopus, paella, a cheese platter and flan to end the meal! Service was also very good.  They accomodated our seatin request and made great suggestions on wine and food.

    I will be back to try more.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/11/2013

    We came here on a Sunday night with reservations. Upon checking in, we were told we can sit by the bar and we will get called. We waited about 5 to 10 minutes even though we were on time for our reservation. I guess that is how they operate, but I think 5 to 10 minutes is a little too long for a restaurant that was about half full/ half empty.

    Our waitress came over and took our drink order and we were deciding what size we wanted; she seemed like she was in a hurry to leave our table and said our 1/2 pitcher of sangria was good and we can always order more. I would have liked for her to at least tell us about the sangria of the day but thats okay.

    Our food arrives with a decent amount of time in between each one except for the spicy potatoes which are my favorite! We were almost done with the last 2 dishes when it finally did arrive and that was the last dish we were working on. I like to have switch between dishes when I eat here so that was a bummer. After a couple potatoes, i actually got tired of it.

    Overall, it was a good meal but I think the service could have been better and I'm so upset about the spicy potatoes coming out last.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/11/2013
    2 check-ins

    I came here the day the Notre Dame should have lost to Pittsburgh and eliminated them from the embarrassment they were in the National Championship.  But I digress.

    This is a fine restaurant.  We started the evening here with some sangria from the bar area as it was about an hour wait.  

    When we were seated we had many of the menu items and they were all exceptional.  I want to point out the octupus a la pancha, this dish was amazing.  It was by far the best octopus I had ever had in my life.  Octopus is usually chewy and not so tasty but this was melt in your mouth and bursting with flavor.  We asked the waiter how they made this so well and he said, "we tenderized the hell out of it". And that about sums up how awesome this place is.

    Though it can be quite expensive it is definitely worth every penny.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/22/2014
    1 check-in

    Been here 3 times. Sangria and the Paella blow me away each time. Suggest ordering 2-3 taps per person + (Paella for half the amount of people in your party). I've gone 3 times, each with different number of people and this approach is always hits the spot!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/2/2014

    Great tapas! This has to be the best place for tapas in Chicago...

    My wife and I went here cause we had a gift card for $50
    I had been warned that it was super pricey and that I'd better expect to spend close to $100 and not get full.
    After my wife and I finished our last plate, we decided we were full but we were scared to ask for the check since we knew we ordered a lot of food.
    Our bill was under $50 and our gift card covered it all.
    But I forgot to pay for parking when we parked on the street cause we were running late for our reservation, and got a $50 ticket on my windshield :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/28/2015

    I LOVE this place. Always looking for a reason to go. I don't care what the price is, this place is fantastic . The foods they bring to you are too notch . I fell in love with the caramelized bananas . Do yourself a favor, need a place to impress your date? Go here.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/14/2014
    1 check-in

    Can get a little busy, but always a solid place to go. Great Sangria.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/16/2015
    1 check-in

    Tried Cafe Ba-Ba Reeba for a birthday after many recommendations to try the tapas establishment out.  Arrived earlier than my set reservation time and was happy to sit at the bar to have a cocktail to wait for my reservation to be valid, but the hostess gladly accommodated us to a table right away. For a Monday night, the place was hopping, must be good right? Ordered a variety of the small dishes to try out, knowing that Tapas is a small dish style of dining. There is not one thing I would send back, our server Velibor was very educating when introducing the menu to us. He also remembered that I made note of my boyfriend's birthday and brought out complimentary dessert. Working in the hospitality/restaurant industry myself, I was pleased that he remembered the details in my reservation request. Had an overall great first time experience. If you haven't tried the place out, do so. It seems as though they shake the menu twice a year, can't wait to come back to newly inspired dishes.

  • 1.0 star rating
    2/26/2013

    The woman in charge of setting up the reservations is very rude!  I booked my 21 person reservation at a better restaurant downtown after canceling with Baba-reeba!

    Management here should not forget about what made this place the jewel of Lincoln Park........customer service.  I will not come back here because of this woman as there are plenty of similar restaurants just as good as baba boey with a lot better customer service!

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/26/2013

    Really good food..... Not really good service.
    That being said... I would go back again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/26/2014
    1 check-in

    Great food and a nice selection of wine and beers!

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/6/2013

    I threw my boyfriend a surprise party last night and the entire experience from beginning to end was awesome! Ashley, the planner, made everything so easy and our room was beautiful (the Toledo room - great chandelier!) I picked out the menu beforehand and all 21 of our guests loved everything - the rioja short ribs, garlic shrimp and bacon wrapped dates were some of our favorites. We even got to play our own music in the room, which was a nice touch. Also, the servers were friendly and attentive - really everything was amazing

    All in all, it was a perfect evening and I would highly recommend this place for parties or group events.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/13/2013

    I've been here a few times and always had a great experience. I've never had to wait for a table as reservations had been made and we were seated promptly upon arrival. I've tried several of the tapas, but some of my favorites are the spicy potatoes, meatballs, stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped dates. I've tried a couple of the desserts. I can't remember which ones but they were decent. The white peach sangria is great. Friends have had cocktails and wine and were quite satisfied. I would definitely recommend coming here. Busy on the weekends, so make reservations!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/20/2014
    1 check-in

    Great decor, food, and service! Have been to Ba-ba-Reeba soo many times!
    Great for date nights too :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/7/2012

    The food here isn't the best Spanish food I've ever had but damn does it give the authentic stuff a run for its money. I came here for the PJ brunch on New Year's Day. It was fabulous, you get to wear your PJs and they give you a gift card with a value of what you spend on brunch. Their brunch is fabulous, the potato croquets are outstanding and the perfect drunk food. The hash brown eggs benedict is outstanding as well, and I'm quite well versed in eggs benedicts in this city. The chicken sausage wasn't amazing, but I'm not a huge fan of sausage to begin with. Their sangria is probably the best in the city in my opinion. I know this place is also good for groups which is a huge bonus for the Lincoln Park area. I love that this place is in my hood and I'm looking forward to some paella!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/22/2013

    Perfect place to go before you wanna hit the club or just be drunk for the night!

    Im from CA, i was visiting and a few friends and i wanted to venture the city before our flight back home the next day! So we came across this place on yelp and decided to check it out... OMG. we got 2 pitchers between 4 ppl and we were pretty much buzzin it hard ... the appetizers were perfectly portioned and kept us sane. Once i stood up it was pretty much over lol

    but over all this place was awesome and because of it i truly miss Chicago!

    OH AND OUR SERVER WAS AWESOME!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/18/2012
    2 check-ins

    Awesome spot for brunch on the weekend. Not too crowded (around noon on a Saturday) and they've got a wicked DIY bloody mary bar. Cava sangria was good, but I'm not much of a bubbly person so I probably would have opted for one of their other sangrias had my friend not wanted the cava. I ordered a simple dish (two eggs) but reallllllly loved the date-glazed bacon. A definite must, everyone at my table was practically drooling when they saw it. The cinnamon french toast was tasty, and a friend ordered the chorizo, manchego, and veggie omelette which was good and another friend had the egg benedict which was also good.

    The server was nice and polite, and their butterscotch dessert was good (if you're a butterscotch person-I don't think it's for everyone).

    I'm definitely tempted to come back for lunch or dinner.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/18/2013
    4 check-ins

    One of the best Spanish restaurants in Chicago. My wife and I came here for her birthday and we thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, the tapas, my sangria and the overall experience. They have a very good selection of the veggie tapas.

    The Calamari, Lamb skewers, Patatas Bravas etc, all taste good. It definitely helps to make a reservation and this place is easily accessible by CTA/public transport.
    I have been going here for over 2 years and have recommended many friends and family to go here who have in turn recommended other people.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/30/2013
    1 check-in

    What can go wrong with a tapas restaurant that advertises on the side of CTA buses?

    I went here with the attitude of "well everyone else has been here, so it must be good". Went for my birthday, only saw my waiter three times, to "greet" us, deliver one of the dishes, and to give the check. I had to grab other sections waiters multiple times. To be fair, it might have been just a bad day for him, like maybe he had to work on his birthday. (Man that would suck to have your birthday ruined because of a restaurant...). It was also many of people in my party's first time to a tapas restaurant and we were unsure how to order, and we were never really given an explanation.

    The food was good and creative, but got to the table kinda cold. Sangria was too watered down (as was the Bloody Mary).

    I always give a restaurant two chances however. The waiter may have just been having a bad day. I will definitely be trying again. I really WANT to like this place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/29/2014 Updated review

    Consistent good sangria, tapas & service ... As good as tapas can be in chicago :)

    3.0 star rating
    4/25/2013 Previous review
    Average food, service is hit or miss, loud environment.  Good Sangria!
  • 5.0 star rating
    10/30/2013
    1 check-in

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is great for groups. We went for a friends birthday and had an excellent server. Try the favorites on the menu (featured in red) patatas bravas and braised short ribs. The goat cheese, calamari, mushrooms, and desserts were also all fabulous. Add a glass of sangria and you're set.

    Fun food, great service, and awesome company mix for an awesome dinner.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/28/2013
    1 check-in

    Service was okay. Food was okay. I do personally think Cafe Iberico takes this place out and most of the people here lack taste buds since it's just okay to me. The wait for this place is pretty ridiculous for the mediocre food it serves.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/19/2015
    1 check-in

    Great Sangria, Bloody Mary bar, crepes, tapas.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/3/2014
    1 check-in

    Great food, great sangria. Perfect for large groups. Only complaint is that we had a reservation for 9pm on a Thursday night and didn't get seated until about 9:30pm and they didn't do anything about it or apologize. The good is so good and great prices.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/14/2015

    I've been to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba twice now. It has a great atmosphere with awesome sangria/cocktails, along with good food. They handle large groups incredibly well but you can also have a great time with a couple friends. It is a large place that is always packed so a reservation is a must.  Two friends and myself has a 6pm reservation on a Saturday night and it was already pretty full. We ordered a pitcher of the Black Raspberry sangria and embraced the tapas style small plates. Their menu is large enough to please any dietary needs. At the same time, it is manageable and not too overwhelming. We ordered 6 plates for the three of us, and did not leave hungry. My three favorites were the spicy potatoes, chicken empenada, and Spanish sausages. I would order each of these dishes again. One of the things I was most impressed about was how our server did not rush us out the door even though the restaurant was packed. We lingered a little bit after paying our bill and ended up opening a second tab of drinks before calling it a night. Would definitely come back again. One of the most important things in order to have a positive experience is to go with a group of people willing to share and compromise on menu items. Also, since everything is shared, its best just to get a pitcher and split the check evenly at the end.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/14/2014

    My boyfriend and I come to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for just about every birthday and anniversary. We love the food, and the atmosphere.

    Recently there was a bit of a mix up with our reservation. We waited about 15 minutes after we had arrived and I guess no one knew we had a reservation at 8pm that we were on time for.

    They asked us if we were waiting for a seat or a party and we said we had reservations at 8pm and the hostess told us to wait and someone would seat us and that no one ever came to seat us.

    They apologized, and sat us immediately. Also gave us free appetizers, and also free dessert. The manager even walked the dessert out to us and apologized again. I felt bad because really we had only waited about 15 mins to be seated - not too big of a deal but they went above and beyond to make it right.

    We will always be loyal patrons! :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/27/2013

    I went here for 2 dates and a friends birthday.

    The first date I was unimpressed, the last 2 times however...WOW.  

    First off if you go here and you drink, get the sangria. It's AWESOME.

    Next research the food before you order because I ordered some things that I absolutely hated and other things I loved. If you're not adventurous bacon wrapped shrimp and scallops are both always winners.

    The decor is awesome for first dates but light enough that she won't think you're trying to do too much too soon.

    And did I mention the sangria?

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/8/2014

    First time I went here, my spanish friend took me here. I was very impressed really felt like spain in chicago. Everything we tried was excellent, service was great as well.   Decor very catchy and unique. The management even bought us dessert certainly 5/5 phenomenal. Second time I returned the "wow factor" was gone or maybe just not present. We were seated awkwardly, then too much food came out all at once, barely saw the server and food was just so so. I don't know whether it was a changed in management  or service but something seemed lacking from my previous visit. At any rate do recommend this place, however I have discovered some spanish restaurants in the suburbs thus won't be be coming to this restaurant soon because of the distance and similar selection to closer spanish restaurants in my vicinity. I heard they have made some changes though, so maybe if I'm in the area and feel tapas might try it once more.

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/27/2013

    Not worth it for $40/pax dinner

    I am not sure why the place got four stars. The food was very standard for a tapas place. I went with 3 other girls. We ordered 2 plates each for sharing. Baked goat cheese with tomato sauce, ahi tuna, garlic shrimp, crispy potatoes, meatballs, short ribs, one chicken dish and bacon wrapped dates. We also had churros for dessert. Nothing was good at all.

    Baked goat cheese : very basic. It wasn't hot when it arrived.
    Ahi tuna: just ok
    garlic shrimp: recommended dish of room-temperature shrimp swimming in sea of oil
    crispy potatoes: just a soggy potatoes with thousand island-like dipping
    I didn't have the rest of the dishes but my friends said they were just 'ok'

    Churros were the biggest disappointment. I was hoping dessert will change how I feel about the place but it didn't. Churros were soggy, not crispy and was not hot. Churros you get from a carnival would taste better than this.

    The only reason I give it a 2-star is because I enjoyed the dark raspberry sangria and the service was good.

  • 1.0 star rating
    8/21/2014

    Really disgusting food and bad service sangria flavor less food takes forever and when I make the reservation they put me on hold for like 20 minutes no good

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/25/2014

    Good gluten free options including gluten free bread.  Street parking only, but it's not bad.  There is outdoor seating as well.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 2.0 star rating
    8/17/2014

    so generic
    so wish it were better
    kind of sloppy - especially the Paella, which used to be very good
    so wish they would have some good quality wines by the glass!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/27/2013

    Love this place for group dining!

    Decent number of vegetarian options and great sangria :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/28/2015

    best brussel sprout salad with manchego and marcona almonds
    been dreaming about it for days!
    make a res - they are on a wait every night of the week

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/27/2014

    The Sangria is the best thing here! I really loved their spicy potatoes (They are the closest to the real ones in Barcelona that I have had in Chicago), their bacon wrapped dates, and the stuffed mushrooms. Other than that, I think their selection is very short.  My friend and I did not enjoy the meatballs everyone was raving about.  Overall, foodwise, I was very disappointed... Sangria-wise, Completely worth it!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/22/2014

    Excellent atmosphere and good food. Spicy potatoes, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, and roasted dates with bacon were my favorites.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/1/2014
    1 check-in

    Go here. Eat everything. Drink all the sangria.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/19/2013

    Great tapas place but make sure you have a reservation because is always crowded .

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/9/2014
    1 check-in

    An absolute must. Great place, great service, even better food. I went with my mom for her birthday and they even gave me a discount for that.
    Every single dish was great, and quite cheap for the quality.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/2/2012
    1 check-in

    Tapas joint in Lincoln Park. Heard lots and lots of good things about this place. We rushed here to catch hapy hour that runs from 4-6. If you want the happy hour menu, you have to sit in the bar area.

    Tapas are $3 each (select tapas) with pinxtos for either $1 each or a platter of them for $5.95. Only happy hour drink special is bud for $3.

    If you check in the first time here, you get a free dessert! We got the tres leches (desserts are tapa style too and each $2.95). The cake was alright. Lacked a bit of flavor. I've had a tres leches cake before and it definitely wasn't as good as the one I've had.

    The tapas were good! I would come back here and try the regular menu. This is a great place to have a gettogether.

    Also be sure to avoid times around 6ish-7ish. It was PACKED when we were leaving.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/30/2013

    We arrived at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba on a Saturday evening hungry and left very full! The place was very busy, even at 6:30, so I would strongly advise making a reservation.

    My husband and I shared 6 total plates and they were all very delicious.
    I agree with a recent review, that the food didn't completely stand out against some other  tapas restaurants, but we still found the dishes to be very tasty.
    Our favorite dish was the Shrimp in a garlic sauce, followed by the Beef Tenderloin.
    We also had their pomegranate sangria, which was light and yummy.
    The timing of each dishes arrival was perfect and overall the service was fantastic.

    We were seated on the indoor/outdoor patio which was simply adorable with all of the Christmas lights, but a bit chilly.

    Overall I would go back again, but might try another tapas restaurant first.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/26/2013

    The best meal during our recent 3-day weekend in Chicago (thanks for the ratings, Yelp!)!

    I love tapas - my favorite way to eat is grazing...a little bit of this, a little bit of that...and this place delivers. Service at the bar was great before our meal. They have a nice wine selection and some deliciously fruity sangria choices. We enjoyed the passion fruit and blackberry versions very much!

    Be sure to go hungry and with plenty of time to explore the menu. Ask questions - the staff knows the food and can help you make good choices. Our server was outstanding with knowledge and service.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/14/2014

    Went to this place last week with my friend. Server was very nice and it was a very affordable price.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/29/2013
    2 check-ins

    Don't sweat the reservation wait. We were told it's a two hour wait and to have a seat at the bar, no problem. We walk to an open table, sat, and a server greeted us immediately. Win!

    The Pitchers of Sangria are awesome. I've never been one to eat tappas but the portions are perfect for two to each select about 2-3 and fill up nicely.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/16/2012
    1 check-in

    Yum! I enjoyed every dish, I left here very satisfied and very stuffed. Atmosphere was loud and fun - definitely good for groups.

    Definitely get the goat cheese in tomato sauce. I also enjoyed the serrano ham, salchichon, chorizo & manchego dish. There's one dish I can't remember the name of, but it was of four different types of sausage on tooth picks and it was soooo good.

    As for the Sangria - it's basically fruit punch. Don't expect to taste on alcohol or even try to get a buzz from it.

    ***And make sure to check-in here on Yelp when you're there, you get free desert tapas!***

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/6/2012
    1 check-in

    To me Spain seems like a different world.

    It's not, I checked a globe.

    I also learned it has a rich culture of mixed backgrounds and influences reflected in this restaurant.

    Do you remember being a kid and talking into a fan so you sound like a robot? This is what it's like talking loud and over enunciating to your partner in order to be heard. This place gets busy and loud. But that can be fun and lively.

    We ordered:
    Pitcher of traditional red sangria
    Good

    Bacon wrapped dates
    Great. Unlike many which use brown sugar coating here they use apple vinegarette

    Breaded baked goat cheese in tomato gravy
    Like a deconstructed ravioli. He liked it more.

    Short Ribs
    Tender, fall apart, and well seasoned. A+ with extra credit!

    Empanadas
    Reminded me of tiny calzones or mini hot pockets- in a good way!

    The service was on the ball.

    Spain really isnt another world. There's little slice of Spain in Chicago for us to enjoy.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/10/2015

    Just finishing brunch.  Amazing.  I highly recommend the Iberico Hash, it borderlines on orgasmic. The food was great and our waiter, Ryan F, was fantastic.  How can you not enjoy your meal when your waiter is knowledgable, extremely kind and patient!!  5 stars

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/30/2013

    This is my top fav places in the city....and the best one when it comes to Tapas. The atmosphere is very lively and must say the place is huge.
    Our server Ryan was just fantastic, he gave us sincere recommendation on the menu items and was very attentive.  
    The food was fantastic.....we started with some pintxos and then went with the patatas bravas and pimientos de padron frittos (friend green chillis)....not that spicy but just perfect for a little bit of that spicy flavour.
    Also, nothing goes wrong with a pitcher of classic red sangria again really the best so far.
    Overall, it was really a great dinning experience and I am definitely going back again.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/18/2012
    1 check-in

    The tapas are decent, but nothing extremely memorable.  The one dish that is the exception is their patatas bravas, probably the BEST patatas bravas I've had... and I go to A LOT of tapas places.  Their bacon wrapped dates is one of my LEAST favorites I've tried and their butterscotch dessert was EXTREMELY sweet that we couldn't take more than a lick of it.  

    Other than that, service is nice, prices are comparable and the place is ALWAYS crowded. It's a good place for a date or for a night out with friends.  Would I go here on my own will without a LEYE gift card? Probably not.  BTW, free dessert if you check in on Yelp!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/27/2014

    This spot is in residential neighborhood on a street with some solid competition.  I went with friends and couldn't have chosen a better spot.  This is the ultimate place for group dining / going on a date or just people watching.  It doesn't look like a big place but it has lots of space.  If possible ask if you can sit in the atrium area.  As the sun sets the lights come to a smooth dimly lit tone and.....voila.....sexy time ambiance.  
    The food is good and tapas are cooked to perfection.  I would definitely go back and recommend you go!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/4/2012
    1 check-in

    First tapas experience and overall it was a pleasant one.  Servers were helpful in determing portions for party size and being on hand.  

    In all we ordered the braised short ribs with mash, shrimp, roasted chicken empanadas, artichoke spread, garlic potato salad and calamari. There was not one dish presented that didn't go back as an empty plate. For desert we had the tres leches cake and that was delightful too.

    The restaurant itself as well is nice inside.  A little decieving to the eye as far as space from the outside but when you get inside its huge.  Multiple rooms plus a large bar.  Small patio but in all I was drawn to all the rooms and the ambiance.  I went at night and it was sort of a romantic dimness to the place but its lively at the same time.

    In all I would definitely come back to browse the menu even further and cruise across some specials. Prices were as expected and stated @ $30/person. Ours was just over $60 including drink which was a pitcher of white peach sangria...highly recommend.

    Definitely going back @ some time...hopefully soon.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/25/2014

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba just catered my wedding over the weekend and I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful Alison Lowry and the staff that night were before, during, and after the event. Throughout the entire process, Alison was wonderful and extremely easy to work with. We met about the event once and everything after that was done via e-mail. Very convenient and she was very prompt with her responses. According to my other event organizers (since I was clearly busy ;)), the Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba staff was prompt, very well prepared, and just overall wonderful to work with. Unfortunately, we did not get to eat, but I assure you we will be going there soon on a date. According to our guests, the food was just AMAZING! Everyone has been ranting and raving about it for the last few days.

    If you're not doing a traditional wedding or just any type of event and need someone to cater, HIRE CAFE BA-BA-REEBA!!!

    Thank you, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for making our event even more memorable!

  • 1.0 star rating
    5/16/2014
    1 check-in

    Over 30 minutes after reservation time we are still waiting. Great Friday night ruined! Come hungry leave hungry

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/25/2014

    I get a little anxious sharing food tapas style but this food was delicious! Almost worth the stress of having to share all of your food and then split your bill with a million people. Almost. Just kidding, it's not worth it at all. But if you must because you're insane and hate simplicity, the short ribs and goat cheese dip are good. Lots of wine choices too. They also have gluten free bread, for your token friend who fakes a gluten allergy to justify eating mostly lettuce. I'll probably never go back, because I can go literally anywhere else and keep all my food to myself, but to each their own.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/5/2014

    Excellent food!! I tried Mercat and Purple pig, they are also tapas restaurants. But cafe babareeba is the best!! The portion size is not too small. I love the garlic shrimp and grill squid. Very tasty! Also tried the hand-craved ham $20 but totally worth it! Pork belly rice is a bit salty and oily. Braised ribs is okay, not amazing.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/2/2015
    1 check-in

    Had several dinners here. Fantastic for a long dinner & drinks with friends.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/22/2014

    Loren K

    My best friends were in from out of town and I wanted to show them a fun time, that was unique, that they couldn't get where they lived( Cleveland) . After searching my brain for a while I decided on Café Ba Ba Reeba.

    It was Saturday night , the place was jammed and we were early for our reservation(if your coming on the weekend reservations are a good idea.) We sat down by the bar and a bar table was opening up. Instead waiting for our reservation we took the bar table.
    We had already started our pitcher of Sangria and were  feeling happy and hungry.
    And then the FIRST STAR OF THE EVENING APPEARED...MARILYN OUR WAITRESS. Marilyn helped us make the transition from bar to table asking questions about our food preferences and giving us some ideas about the Tapas style of eating . She took the initiative to check with the kitchen in reference to a food allergies for one of the members .of our party and made sure we had a well rounded taste of Tapas.

    We snacked on salad, sausage, cheese, mushrooms, olives reordering the amazing little dishes thoroughly enjoying the SECOND STAR OF THE EVEINING...THE FOOD.
    The conversation turned humorous, the service by Marilyn was nicely timed and unintrusive allowing us to enjoy the food,and each other. The evening and food just got better and better, every new dish showing up at the table was an exciting surprise for my guests.Time became irrelevant but finally we had to call it a night. The LAST STAR OF THE NIGHT WAS THE BILL. SO MUCH FUN FOR SO SMALL A PRICE. A check that was easy to fight for, a night we'll all fondly remember.
    Thanks  Ba Ba Reeba, thanks Marilyn.

    Loren Kabb
    Skokie, Il

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/15/2013
    1 check-in

    A very good tapas experience.  It's a hugely busy place, but they've plenty of wait staff, and the place is much bigger than you'd imagine it would be from the outside (or even after you enter).  A short walk from the train stop and just a few stops out of the Loop, this place generates fun thru good food and drink, and I'll definitely go back when in Chicago again.

    Positives:

    A large selection of different tapas, and they were categorized on the menu by vegetable, seafood or meat to help choosy diners.  There were enough different selections that our group could easily go back multiple times without having the same thing twice.

    Timing on the deliveries was good too.  I hate going to a tapas place, ordering several different tapas and having them delivered all at once.  We got ours pretty much one or two at  time.

    Drinks.  I had a flight of red wines (thanks, CTA!) and the passion fruit sangria was also very tasty.

    Best tapas we had:  Our group ordered 10 different tapas, but the best were the scallops, potatoes/aioli and the bacon-wrapped dates.

    Yelp's check-in dessert special was nice, but we used the one from Four Square for a free pintxos platter.  The positive was that we had a choice!

    Tapas were well sized.  Plenty to go around.

    Negatives (admittedly, minor ones)

    Loud, but that's what you get with so many people having a good time.

    We went on a weekday and it was packed.  On the weekends I'm told the lines can be pretty long.

    The asparagus and egg tapa.  First, how do you divide it, and second, asparagus in October just doesn't taste that good.  Take it off the menu.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/30/2014

    Amazing food... Amazing environment. Took my boyfriend here for a date. It was definitely a night to remember. Service was excellent. The sangria is delicious. Would be coming back soon for sure :-)

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/20/2014

    We had the greatest time this past Saturday night at Cafe Baba Reeba. We arrived at 8:00pm, though we had an 8:30pm reservation. We were able to find a table in the bar for our party of 3, so we stayed there to start our evening. Marilyn, our server, was absolutely incredible. Sharing a pitcher of sangria, we ordered nine plates, each as good as the next, and finished with two delicious desserts. Marilyn's suggestions were excellent and the food came out hot and timely. We plan on making this restaurant a must for all our Chicago visits!  

    Geri and Warren F.  Cleveland, Ohio

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/20/2014
    1 check-in

    Everything here is very good, from their bloody mary, passion fruit sangria, and all the food. OMG! We love their bacon wrapped shrimps and spicy potatoes.  This is our go to restaurant when we go to the city.  There is never a wait and the service is amazing. The servers are very knowledgable and helpful when you are not sure what to order.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/18/2014

    Great food and ambience. The service was very good but not great. Short Rib and the goat cheese/red sauce were both fantastic! Definitely be back.

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/18/2015

    The ambience is great. The service is ok. The food is just ok. I go to cafe Iberico and Tapas Valencia and find their food better and better prices. The flavored sangrias are too sweet and not worth trying, stick to the classic ones.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/21/2011
    2 check-ins

    A few summers ago I was driving with one of my friends back then when we got a flat tire in Lincoln Park, in front of this Spanish restaurant. I had never changed a tire, so I was useless, my friend worked on changing it and a few passerbys helped.

    Fast forward a few years to last night. I'm in the car with my best friend. We had made rum and Cokes with 7-11 slurpees, stopped at my piercer's shop to chat, had attempted to go to Peace Fest, and decided we should eat something. I'm particularly good at finding the best places to eat, and I usually refer to my Yelp app as a point of reference as far as what's near and what's good per the reviews. We're driving, I'm getting overwhelmed with what's near us at the moment (Lincoln Park area) and what's near our destination (Wrigleyville area), when Café Ba Ba Reeba pops up. I had read up on it, bookmarked it, and was determined to go one day. Over 900 reviews and I wanted Spanish, so off we went.

    I had lived in Spain for six months, so I was so excited to see all the décor, complete with jamón hanging from the ceiling and FC Barcelona (Booo) scarves above the bar. We opted to sit outside. The patio was decorated with pretty lights and they even had traditional Spanish street signs on the wall (Calle de las lechugas AHAHA) Upon the standard checking-in to Facebook, Foursquare and Yelp, deals popped up. At the time, checking in on Facebook got you a free order of baked goat cheese, checking in on Yelp got a free pintxo platter. Such a good deal! We first wanted the baked goat cheese but then saw the pintxo platter and went for that. I was originally going to get only that, but I ordered the special Green City Market paella while my friend ordered a garlicky shrimp tapas. We rounded it out with a pitcher of white peach sangria.

    I will say I was little put off by the waiter. He asked me if I had ever heard of pintxos, tapas and paella, I said yes, I lived in Spain for a while...and he still proceeded to explain what they were. Bro, I told you I lived there. I KNOW WHAT THEY ALL ARE.

    Anyway, so I lived in southern Spain, went to Barcelona once, but never got to try the pintxos, so I was excited to try them here. Separately, they are $1.50 and during certain times, they are only $1...all together they are $8.95. On the platter:
    Chorizo wrapped medjool date & manchego; ahi tuna poached in olive oil on avocado toast; goat cheese croquetta; short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper; artisanal Spanish cheese & quince; mushroom & rice croquetta

    My favorites were the chorizo-wrapped date, the artisanal cheese and the mushroom and rice croquette.
    My paella was depressingly tiny in comparison to the huge pans I had in Spain, but I wasn't too hungry so I guess it was okay. I also think the chef ran out of vegetables because I saw carrots in it when there weren't supposed to be...and it was missing green onions. My friend's shrimp was good, although she was disappointed in the portion size and lack of spiciness - hey, that's Spanish tapas and food in general.

    My friend and I took an embarrassingly long time to finish our pitcher and the staff was nice enough to wait for us.
    A great place! I'll be sure to join the text club and don't be surprised if I show up there a few more times.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/20/2014

    I used to live next door to this restaurant. The atmosphere and smell are intoxicating. The food is amazing! We go every time we are in town!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/5/2014
    1 check-in

    Bravo.  Simply the best grub hub meal yet.  Tapas were tasty and not gross on delivery like iberico.  You must try this.  Patatas bravas pefect.  Desserts heavenly.  I would get this again and again and given I am a tough grader I consider this a triumph.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/25/2013

    Went here with a group of 6 (highly recommend going in large groups, and with friends/family that are in to sharing) we ordered two different sangria's- the peach and black raspberry , both were fantastic. We then ordered roughly 25 menu items and just passed them around the table. The top three (in no particular order) were
    1. Short ribs
    2. Croquetas
    3. Brussel sprout salad

    The atmosphere is fun, the service was on point, and the menu is just comprehensive enough for tapas without being overwhelming.

    Make a reservation and come thirsty and hungry, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba will not disappoint.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/3/2013

    One of the best Tapas restaurants I've ever been to. The food is awesome especially the dates wrapped bacon. it melts in your mouth and there is a combination between salty and sweet that is just extraordinary. I also drank the sangria. The sangria is really nice as it was not too strong and it was just the right companion for the food. In addition, the paella was also quite good. I rarely like paella as sometimes it was tasteless, but Ba-Ba-Reeba has a really good looking and tasty paella. The service was also really good and the server is really friendly. The price is also just right and it was not too expensive.

    CONS (the reason I  only give it 4 stars)
    When we reserved for the table. they heard us wrong for the number of people, we ended up squeezing and it the space was really small. The restaurants s a little bit too loud so sometimes we need to speak really loud. Aside from that, this restaurant is superb.

    RECOMMENDATION: Go in groups so you will be able to try a lot of different things. Do not forget to try the sangria and eat the free bread, it is really nice too.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/23/2014

    Everything about this restaurant is to die for! The atmosphere is lovely and places you right in the heart of Spain. The tapas our delicious and they have several different flavors of Sangria! This place is a must if you are in the area and looking for an exotic dish!

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/26/2013

    I came here with a couple of friends, had the seafood paella, patatas bravas, goat cheese croquetta, and some mango sangria. It was alright. I really like the patatas bravas, but the paella was mediocre. I have a tendency to compare restaurants (which I know isn't fair), but Toro Bravo in Portland does Spanish tapas much better.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    10/21/2013
    Listed in Sweet Tooth

    I love this place. I came here on a Sunday night and the wait was not bad at all. It was a party of three and we sat in the courtyard. It was well decorated and lighted up. They have a very well organized menu so ordering was a delight.

    Recommendations: For starters, the bacon wrapped shrimp is a petite plate but nevertheless, delicious. I also really like their Octopus a la Plancha, fried calamari, shrimp with garlic, and chicken kebab. As for dessert, their empanda and caramelized banana, let's just say, I ordered a second. Keep in mind, these food are a bit more salty than usual because it was meant to be served with some sort of alcohol/drinks.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/2/2013

    One of my fav tapas restaurants in Chicago and its not pricey for the quality of food they serve.
    My recommendations:
    1. Pinxtos
    2. Croquettas are a must
    3. & so is the citrus cured salmon (yum, even Iberico makes this one awesome)
    paella and patatas bravas are passable though.

    All in all, a must visit tapas place in the city, worth your buck

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/21/2014
    1 check-in

    Absolutely delicious! My boyfriend and I went on a Wednesday night around 9:00 and it was still a 20 minute wait. However, the hostess invited us to take a seat at the bar if we were able to find a seat, and there were plenty of open ones so we decided to just do that. I actually really enjoyed sitting at the bar--we were able to ask the bartender his opinion on a few things, and he was really helpful. We started with the Pintxos platter of small bites and EVERYTHING was delicious, especially the grilled shrimp and the goat cheese croqueta. Then we ordered a first round of tapas and again, everything was delicious.  If you aren't familiar with what is on the menu, I would go for the red-font items--those are their specialties and you can pretty much count on it being a home run. We started off with the shrimp with garlic and olive oil (delish), the chicken and ham croquetas (delish), the beef tenderloin and blue cheese (delish), and the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce (SUPER delis). Like I said, it was just me and my boyfriend, but neither one of us had eaten much that day so we were still hungry and decided to order a couple more. We added on the meatballs with sherry tomato sauce and skewered chicken and chorizo and that was perfect. After that, we were two very, very happy people.

    Just a heads up: If you don't have to drive, don't. The wine is delicious, and the parking is TERRIBLE, so either valet or walk if you can.

    Enjoy!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/7/2014
    1 check-in

    We had a wonderful time here, the service is excellent and the patio/outdoor seating is wonderful! We had two types of sangria, one was a fruit flavor and the other was red wine. I preferred the red wine variety as it was stronger tasting. All the food was very good, we had a lot of different dishes, if you are having trouble figuring out what to get just keep an eye on the servers and see what is coming out.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/10/2013

    Went with some friends (group of 8) on a Friday night and while we were seated promptly for our rsvp time, the service was not all that great. First, we were seated by a bus station in the middle of the room - I was closest to it at 3 ft away.

    I know we can't all sit far away from the bus stations, and I was fine with it, but the staff made NO effort to avoid hitting my chair, no matter how I tried to re-position it away from them. I finally had to hold my purse in my lap after a staff member knocked it off my chair, tangled it up in his feet, stepped on it twice and then kicked it 4 feet away - all without ever looking down. I politely brought the incident to his attention and, without any comment whatsoever, he simply walked away from me. My fellow ladies at the table we appalled - I'm pretty sure the men didn't even notice. Either way, the lack of an apology is unacceptable.

    The food was okay, if maybe a bit blah, and the serving of it by the busboys was total confusion. The wrapped dates are good (#1 & 67, 67 is better), and the spicy potatoes (#30) are okay. The shortrib stuffed pepper (#4) tasting was great. The empanadas (#52 & 62) are meh - I've had better. The pork belly with beans (#68) was a huge disappointment - it was 99% fat and totally inedible IMHO. The olives (#26) aren't worth $5.

    The sangria is fantastic, I will give it that. We happily put down several pitchers of it.

    All in all, it's a nice introductory tapas place, or a fun spot to take your out-of-town or suburban family, but there are better tapas restaurants out there if you're looking for food over atmosphere.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/6/2015

    We had a fun dinner before catching a show.  Really loved the grilled calamari and the short ribs.  The egg and potato Tortilla dish is classic but the sauce was a perfect touch.  Made a classic dish that much more enjoyable.  The stuffed mushrooms were good, but predictable.  The Paella was flavorfull, but a bit dry.  The service was attentive.  Always a good spot and fun to share plates.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/30/2014

    I recently held a baby shower at this Location, and I, myself, am in the industry so I am definitely a critic and I must say they were amazing! Ashley was wonderful to work with, and was very clear and upfront with pricing and made planning a 72 person baby shower easy breezy.

    As far as the space, it was more than big enough, and I loved the lay-out. Our server was extremely personable, and did an excellent job keeping up with food, and allowed me to just enjoy hosting. They have different fixed plated options. We also paid an additional $100 to have a private make-shift bar with a private tender. It was totally the way to go!!! It allowed me to have a cash bar without it coming across as tacky. Also, the manager closed the check out with me, and took the time to explain the final number.

  • 1.0 star rating
    3/11/2014

    A few years ago, I was going to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba at least once a week. The food was on point and the presentation made it stand out! However, after becoming much more commercialized over the last couple of years, the food authenticity and selection has become something similar to chain restaurant quality. The last time I visited was for my birthday, I had a group of 10, a waiter crashed into my guest's chair and the entire tray of food came barreling down on her and her belongings. It was awful. They gave us coupons for our next visit. Not impressed and haven't been back since :/

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/12/2013

    Brussel Sprouts salad.  Get it.  'It's the best, Jerry, the best!
    Always a favorite, especially with out of town guests.  You can't miss with the menu.  Probably the best Tapas in Chicago.  Sangria is excellent.  Predictable, delicious, and enjoyable.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/21/2014

    We left out of this place stuffed. We even left food on the table. Everything we ate was amazing. I would recommend getting the  Pintxos Platter. Why just choose one when they give you the option to try them all! My favorite was Rioja-Braised Short Ribs, Mashed Potatoes and Mango Sangria YUM! Make a reservation a head of time if you want a table for the weekend as this place is always packed! If not the wait will be about 60-90 min!

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/16/2013

    This is only a review for brunch.......

    I would say from a brunch perspective they were o.k. but nothing crazy.  One item we got was great and the other two were just average.  If you are in the area definitely check it out, not sure I would go out of my way though.  

    Great Bloody Mary bar and given the vodka choices not bad at $10 a pop.  Other items could end up being sort of pricy.

    Would definitely go back for dinner.  I like the enclosed patio area for the summertime.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/3/2014

    I love this place - I have been more times than I can count and the food and service is always fantastic. Bacon wrapped dates are a must. The sangria is also fantastic - which it should be for a Spanish place. The black raspberry sangria is a personal favorite. The cava sangria is good too. I would highly recommend this place to anyone coming to Chicago or a native that hasn't been there yet.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/2/2011

    Went here for a birthday last night at 8pm. I was worried about finding parking because of other Yelpers' reports but I got very lucky in finding a spot right outside. Score!

    I started with the one bite Pintxos (pinches) which are just $1.50 each. I tried the
    1. Chorizo Wrapped Medjool Date & Cheese - this one was just okay to me. The date flavor overpowered this bite. My friends got the date dish which was a bit better then mine, apparently, so I suggest going for that instead of teh $1.50 bite.    
    2. Ahi Tuna Poached In Olive Oil On Avocado Toast -  Again just okay, not bad but not spectacular.
    3. Goat Cheese Croqueta - Super tasty bite! Filled with creamy, succulent goat cheese. Loved it.      
    5. Spanish Artisanal Cheese & Quince -Not a fan of this at all. The quince is a strange fruit...tastes good but has an awfully strange consistency to it.    
    6. Mushroom & Rice Croqueta Loved this bite as well. It had some flavoring that was almost curry like in taste. Really lovely taste.

    For my main tapas I tried the Spinach & Manchego Stuffed Mushrooms at $5.95. My favorite item of the night! They looked so good and tasted so very good! I was kind of sad my friends tried 2 so I was only left with 2 for myself. Selfish me. :P  I also had the Chicken & Ham Croquetas at $5.95. These were so filling and I could barely finish them but they were just fantastic.

    Our service was excellent and they gave my buddy some chocolate & ice cream with a candle in it for her birthday. It looked good but I was so stuffed from all of my bites I couldn't even taste the dessert!

    Ambiance was fun like your usual tapas restaurant, sound level was loud and it was hard to hear people at my table.  I would defintiely go back to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba to try more dishes but will probably steer clear of the $1.50 pintxos next time.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/29/2014

    This is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. The mango sangria is awesome and you have to order the bacon wrapped dates. The atmosphere is great and the food is delicious!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/8/2015

    Hands down excellent food at great prices, long wait times! Probably due to it overwhelming popularity!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/7/2014

    We went here for brunch and we both were impressed.  Made a reservation on Open Table and had no wait.  We both liked the small plates idea for brunch, because you could try a lot of different dishes without getting too full on one.  For example, the pancakes were just a stack of 4-5 silver dollar pancakes.  The french toast was one piece of deliciously caramelized french toast on a stick.  The deviled egg was just one half and egg, etc.  We tried everything on the tapas menu and then each had eggs benedict for the main course.  My only complaint was the date coated bacon was pretty burned.  Service was good and prices very reasonable.  We'll go back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/30/2014
    2 check-ins

    Decent but expensive as all tapas in town:(

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/30/2013

    Service was excellent; bloody mary was spiced to perfection; music & atmosphere were ideal; tapas were amazing. You have to try the chicken & ham croquetas or the roasted chicken empanadas for sure! Delicioso!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/13/2013
    1 check-in

    Absolutely LOVE Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! This place is great for date nights, birthday dinners with big groups of friends and when you have out of towners. I may be partial to tapas places because I studied aboard in Barcelona in my college days, but ba-ba-reeba's food is consistantly good. I am yet to be disappointed. I would have to say hands down the bacon wrapped dates are my favorite-simple yet delicioso! And you cannot forget to order the patatas bravas-this dish is a must have since it is on every menu you encounter in Spain.
    This place is extremely popular amongst locals so make sure to make a reservation well in advance. Usually 2weeks before if you have a party larger than 4. Provecho!

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/4/2014
    1 check-in

    Service was good.  The chicken pomegranate dish and the tortilla were pretty tasty, but the other dishes (the lamb kebab stands out in my mind) was far too oily.  The dessert (caramelized banana) was nothing to write home about.  All in all, the food was meh.  Atmosphere was of a similar sentiment.  Both good, not great.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/1/2012

    I really liked this place. The server was good, awesome sangria and the food is delicious! I can't wait to go back!

    The only thing I didn't like was their wine is pretty pricey, even for Chicago. And I guess they don't take reservations after 5. I don't really understand that....But I will definitely go back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/10/2014

    best tapas in chicago! great food! great drinks! great vibe! this place is amazing.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/3/2014

    Love Love Love, never disappointed

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/9/2013

    The best tapas in the city! I have been going to this place for many years now, celebrated holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, and girls nights here, and you just can't go wrong!

    The food and drinks are delicious, and the service is impeccable!

    The only downside is that this place gets so busy sometimes that you really do need to call some time in advance to book a good reservation (I guess it's a good problem to have, right?) ;)

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/31/2014

    I love this place. it is my one of my favorite places. I have alway had great services, great food, and great sangria. Seriously a must try with a group of friends or just two.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/4/2013

    Great Sangria...on tap! We got a huge selection of tapas that were all great. The interior is gorgeous. The kind of place you want to bring your camera to. I love all the pigs, especially next to all the serano hanging from the ceiling ;)

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/23/2012

    After YEARS of passing by this place, we finally tried it - and I am now a fan.

    Friday night, 6pm.  
    Predicted wait for table: 45 minutes.  
    Actual wait: 1+ hour  

    During our wait, we grabbed bar stool seats at the bar - not that comfortable - but, that's where we would stay for the next hour and a half - eating, and drinking a shit ton of sangria.

    We tried every sangria on the menu except the standard white and the white peach.  My favorite was the black raspberry, but they were all really good!  Strong enough, not too sweet, and the flavored ones did have really good flavor (black rasp., mango, passion fruit).  Plus, as more sangria was consumed, the hard / no-back bar stools became more and more comfortable.  So that was a bonus.

    After we gave up hope on our table and accepted the fact that we'd have to eat at the bar (not THAT terrible of a thing; and, the bartender was very nice/friendly), we ordered a few tapas:
    - baked goat cheese (This really can't be bad, and it wasn't.  It was delectable.  I ate the entire thing myself)
    - chx empanada (omg. The flaky crust of a pot pie with a spiced pulled chx mix.  Delicious)
    - spare rib (The man loved it)
    - chx & chorizo sausages (The man loved it)
    - citrus cured salmon with cucumber and a cream sauce (fresh & light)

    Food was fabulous & came out quick; Our bartender/server was so nice & helpful; I just wish that we could have snagged a table outside.  

    Next time, reservations are a must!  
    **We walked in at 6 with no crowds / lines; we left around 7:30 and spearheaded our way through a packed front hall out onto the street.  If our wait was an hour, those people probably had at least a 2 - 3 hour wait.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/21/2014
    1 check-in

    Comes in second behind long-time favorite Cafe Iberico. The octopus was awesome, short rib was tender but nothing exciting about the flavor. The brussel sprout salad was terrible and the shrimp was good but nothing special, seemed like your standard shrimp scampi type dish. We found the stuffed mushrooms very good and while the jar of eggplant spread to complement the bread was tasty, it was small and not really worth the $$$. Generally smaller portions than iberico. Ordered a pitcher of the black raspberry sangria which wasn't filled all the way full but very tasty.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/17/2014

    Ba ba ba,
    Ba ba ba-reeeba is bomb!
    Had 3 veggie tapas and classic sangria. We wanted to revisit to explore more. Max served us and had amazing suggestions! Hope to return to Chicago and become a regular.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/16/2012
    Listed in Too lazy to cook

    I came here with a big group of friends and we ordered a lot off the menu. The atmosphere is pretty dark, but not too dark.

    I HIGHLY suggest making reservations beforehand. We waited for about 15-20 even though we had reservations.

    I liked all of the food, especially the peach sangria. All very delicious. I think it's a great tapas place. Although, I think you can find better tapas at other places like Cafe Iberico and their grilled octopus. But it's still a solid place to eat.

  • 2.0 star rating
    5/10/2012
    2 check-ins

    Since there are hundreds of reviews, my lowly review won't offset their rating.  (I've been waiting for this.  LoL. )  I've given the cafe more than one opportunity to wow me, but it hasn't.  I've walked in solo and with groups but haven't had a wowerful experience yet.  Is it me?!  I don't know. Were they off days?  I don't know.  Are the chefs ever changing? I don't know.  Too many I don't knows.  The one dish I do know I like, are the bacon wrapped dates and one time the house made sangria.  Beyond that..

    It's worth the try though.  Look at all of these glowing reviews.  I'd say 90% of the people I've encountered either friends or foodies have said good to great things about them.  The other 10% like me are dining elsewhere.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/16/2013

    After having been to Mercat a la planxa and avec, I wasn't impressed with Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  We ordered the fried calamari and bacon wrapped dates.  Both dishes were drenched in oil which left me cringing.  The sangria seemed too watery as well.  Moreover, the atmosphere of the place is rather dark and dull. If you want a date that doesn't impose much burden on your wallet, then this may be your spot.  On a personal level, I would much rather visit Mercat for a true tapas experience.  HOWEVER, if I were to give one praise, then it'd be the restrooms.  They are clean and well managed!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/21/2013

    Carl our server was great.  Very attentive to his tables, without being over bearing.
    I would call the food, mediocre.  Something for everyone.  Nothing hit me to the point where I was like,  "Man I gotta eat that again!"  Don't get me wrong, food was fine.  Just nothing really popped out.  The drinks however were great.  Their mojitos were refreshing!  I would not come back on my own, but if a friend wanted to come here, I'd come back.  Great ambiance.

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/8/2011

    I'm a tapas virgin therefore reading all the great reviews I was super excited to try Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!

    We were sat promptly and the host was very friendly. Our server seems to be kind of out of it and confuse about something.

    I understand the concept of getting small dishes to share with everyone, but when 1 dish only gives a very, very small taste to 1 out 3 of us, then I don't think it's worth it especially when I can get a whole meal for the same price that tastes better.

    Luckily I got a free redemption of stuffed mushrooms on my FB check in or else we would of still been hungry! The stuffed mushrooms and short ribs were very good. The scallops with concus and chicken empanada were okay. The shrimp and scallop paella wasn't good. It had some slimy tangy, extremely salty mixture with huge peapods and not enough shrimp or scallops. Bleh.

    The food isn't worth the price and I wasn't even full.

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/18/2013
    1 check-in

    Overhyped. Great service, but every dish was mediocre at best.  Not sure if I would go back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/24/2013
    1 check-in

    I heard great things about Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba before visiting with a few friends for a birthday.  First, if you want to try this place, I highly recommend a reservation because it is BUSY.  
    We started off with the white peach sangria which is delicious.  I was able to try the blackberry sangria as well but it wasn't as good as the white peach.  
    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has a small plate concept.  You order a bunch of different plates for the table.  If you've ever gone to a restaurant and fretted over which dish to get, you will love that you can order multiple things. If you are someone who doesn't like to share food then I absolutely would not recommend this place because part of the experience is trying all the different things.  
    Everything I tried was delicious and all the food was excellently prepared.  I highly recommend the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce.  Plus, if you check in on Yelp, you receive a free dessert! The butterscotch dessert, although small, was divine.  
    The one downside I have, is I feel like I spent a lot of money and did not get a ton of food.  This might be a matter of perception because I never ate a ton of one thing, but I am just throwing it out there.  Overall, it was a great experience and I will definitely be dining here again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/1/2014

    Great food. The service was slow though. The waiter was not very attentive. I forgot to order a dish that I had ordered. I had to chase him down to get our check ASAP, because we had a show to go to. THe margharitas were amazing. The food is consistent, especially the bacon wrapped dates.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/12/2014
    1 check-in

    Absolutely impeccable service and food! This is certainly one of the best restaurants we've been to in Chicago. We came for my wife's birthday, and had a blast. Every dish was better than the next, coupled with awesome service. Our waiter gave great recommendations, fast and kind service and it was just SO GOOD. You should come the next time you visit Chicago.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/29/2014
    2 check-ins

    Best tapas in the city! This place will not disappoint. The fried calamari and the sangria are my absolute favorite.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/17/2014
    1 check-in

    So great and reasonably priced! We went with a group of 6 and the food was amazing. I left full (not always the case with tapas unless you want a hefty bill) and will definitely be back again!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    11/16/2013
    1 check-in

    Wonderful time!  Delicious food!  Great friends!  Does that sound like an advertisement?  It should, because Cafe Ba-Ba-Reba is THAT damn good!!  Go here.  Eat food. Be happy.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/27/2014

    Of my favorite restaurants in Chicago.  The tapas are delicious and there's  a lot of variety, my favorites are the spicy potatoes, chicken empanada, tomato goat cheese spread and the garlic shrimp.  The food is super affordable and you get to try a bunch of different delicious small plates and is great for sharing.  The sangria tastes good but is weak and hard to get a good buzz from but that's my only gripe.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/24/2012
    1 check-in
    Listed in Chi Town!

    Great sangria, delicious Pintxos & Tapas, and sweet happy hour deals at the bar. We had the pintxos platter, chicken & ham croquetas,  patatas bravas, calamares a la plancha, and flan. Everything was very tasty, the service was fast & friendly, and the ambiance is cute (love the hanging ham leg ;)
    Overall a great stop in the area!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/24/2014
    1 check-in

    Good, especially the dinner.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/18/2012
    1 check-in
    Listed in Cultural DIgs

    Good for brunch and great atmosphere

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/13/2014

    I love this place!!! My fiance and I regularly go here for dates. Amazing food, good for vegetarians as well. Reasonably priced. The only downside is you have to have a reservation a week in advance.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/29/2014

    Great tapas place!! I've come here numerous time with both small and big groups of people.  I never have a problem getting a reservation or coming in without one and being seated right away.  I love the ambiance of the restaurant and the waiters are always very attentive and helpful.  The white sangria here is my favorite drink to order and is a reasonable price per pitcher.  

    The tapas are all good size portions, although some can be a little pricey.  You pay the same amount whether youre getting shrimp or a quinoa salad with spinach and apple (Which sounds a little off to me, but it is my favorite thing to get there despite the price).  Fresh bread is always on the table and they have a trio of spreads you can order to go along with it (the goat cheese mint one is my personal favorite).

    I would say it is a solid 4 star restaurant, losing 1 star because the prices of items.  However, the menu lets you spend as much or as little as you want and still get a great meal.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/31/2013
    1 check-in

    Can I please rate this place 10 stars.

    I cannot say how much I love this restaurant. I don't consider myself a food snob.  I just like good food and this place has GOOD food! I have never had anything bad here. Every dish that comes out is better than the last.

    If you don't get bacon wrapped dates, just kill yourself. I mean really.

    GO HERE!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/9/2013
    1 check-in

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is by far my favorite restaurant in Chicago. It's a great atmosphere, huge menu and the best sangria ever. Babs is perfect for all ages and tastes. Their huge menu will be a hit even with the pickiest eaters. I take all of my out of town guests here any time they visit!

    I love the white peach sangria, bacon wrapped dates, stuffed mushrooms, short rib and blue cheese steak. There are also great, healthy options like asparagus spears, pear salad and grilled shrimp. Lots of vegetarian options.

    Sign up for their text message alerts and get a mobile coupon for a free tapa approx. every 2-3 weeks. They also notify you of specials like half priced tapas or cocktails.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/4/2014
    2 check-ins

    great tapas. Especially the octopus and braised short ribs.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/18/2012

    We were 15 min late for our reservations. Even though we called ahead and told them we were running late, and they said they would save our table, by the time we got there, they gave our table away!  We saw so much empty seating and yet they kept making people wait... We walked up  to the hostess and kept inquiring as to whether they had called us yet and they kept reassuring us that we would hear it over the loud speakers... we never did so we went back for the 3rd time and they said they had called us 10 min ago. We were right there in front waiting and I swear they NEVER called us! I was furious, we ended up waiting a total of 40 minutes!! I would have given this place 5 stars had the hostess been more competent.

    After finally being seated, the service was good, the food was really simple and easy but so delicious! The goat cheese baked in tomato sauce was amazing, as was the spinach/artichoke dip, the asparagus and manchego cheese, sicy potatoes, beef tenderloin and blue cheese. The chicken and ham croquetas were really tasty but really heavy, I was done after having one croqueta.

    This is a really fun eccentric spanish tapas restaurant, just make sure you get there ON TIME otherwise you'll have a hellish experience waiting :-)

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/30/2014

    Delicious tapas and a wonderful ambiance... Very lively and upbeat.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/6/2012
    2 check-ins

    The evening started off a little rough. We had a reservation and got seated immediately...but then no one paid attention for us for about 10 minutes. But then, the water started coming, the bread and then we finally got our waiter who was very friendly.

    We ordered the seafood paella immediately since it takes 30 minutes to cook. While waiting for the paella we ordered the spanish olives, garlic potato salad and endives salad. Everything was great.

    I got the white classic sangria which had less flavor than I had hoped. I'd never had a white sangria before...definitely will stick to red from now on.

    The paella was very good, but the rice was a little under cooked for my liking.
    Finally, thanks to yelp check-in offers we got the crema catalana (basically creme brulee) for free :D

    I will definitely come back. The food and service at the end of the day were all great enough to warrant above a 4.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/6/2012
    1 check-in

    I lived down the street from Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for four years and walked by it every day without going in. Turns out a bachelorette party was the reason that I would come to know the true excellence of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. When I called ahead to make a reservation for 9, the staff was a pleasure to work with. Our table was set up and ready to go when we arrived.

    The food was so awesome! The bacon wrapped dates, grilled asparagus, garden salad, and meat skewers was enough for one person or if you are forced to share that is fine too. I also recommend the white wine sangria if they have it! I may have to find a recipe to recreate it. Overall for 9 people it was around $37 per person when we split the bill up.

    Our server was attentive and who wouldn't love to have a party of 9 sexy ladies to deal with for 2.5 hours?

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/3/2014
    1 check-in

    Love this place! It's a gem.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/22/2014
    4 check-ins

    My boyfriend and I love this restaurant! Our favorite dishes are the dates wrapped in bacon, the baked goat cheese with sauce and garlic bread, the pork belly skewer (yum) and the ribs with the manchego mashed potatoes.  We ordered a half a pitcher of red sangria for the two of us which was the perfect amount. We also each checked in on Yelp to get a free dessert tapas. We got the chocolate truffle, and the caramelized banana with ice cream which were both delicious! The servers were very attentive, and cleared our plates frequently. We made reservations online for 5:30 and we had no trouble being seated immediately. We also took the train which was a few blocks away, so we could enjoy as much sangria as we wanted. We had so much fun here!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/4/2014

    Delicious. Lots of vegetarian options.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/8/2013

    We got 10 dishes and some white sangria..

    Chorizo wrapped dates- Yum!
    Short ribbed stuff pepper- okay
    House marinated spanish olives- waste of money... just plain olives... we didn't finish it
    Spicy tomato with aeoli sauce- Yum!!! probably the best dish.
    Spinach and manchego stuffed mushrooms- okay... would taste better with meat inside
    Grilled squid- not bad!
    Scallops- pretty good
    Roast dates with bacon and apple vinegrette- very good
    Braised pork belly- it was like all fat....
    Catalan bread with ripe tomato- very good!

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/10/2014
    1 check-in

    Environment and food aren't bad, just ridiculously expensive for what you are actually getting.  Your investment would be served better at a place that gives you portions where you aren't hungry still when you leave.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/18/2014

    great place for a date. the chorizo wrapped dates were a treat though I didn't personally feel the peach sangria was as good as everyone chalked it up to be.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/29/2013
    1 check-in

    This place has never disappointed. I've been here several times now and it's always delicious. Two of us ordered about 4 tapas and were stuffed. We had the grilled squid, spicy potatoes, kabob, and lamb. Awesome. Fresh bread is served right when you sit down and they always have a new flavor of sangria of the night. :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/22/2014
    1 check-in

    Recommend, One of the decent restaurants I've been to in Chicago. Don't know if it's authentic Spanish tapas but they're very delicious for sure. Tapas are quite big portion, so if you want to try lots of different tapas then go in big groups.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/26/2014

    LOVE cafe babareeba. I've been here tons of times with several people and everyone who I've brought here has enjoyed it; even picky eaters!

    The bacon wrapped dates are to die for.
    As is the Catalan bread.

    I order them both every time I go.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/26/2014
    1 check-in

    This was my first time back here in years.  Food and service are both really good and the Bloody Mary bar is both fun and delicious.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/4/2014 Updated review

    I'm pretty sure my friends and I have tried everything on the menu, and obviously we love it since we go back time and again.  The restaurant can get a little loud, which I only noticed when I took my brother who suffers from PTSD-  but for everyone else, this is a good find!

    4.0 star rating
    3/19/2014 Previous review
    I'm pretty sure my friends and I have tried everything on the menu, and obviously we love it since… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    5/13/2014

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is a pretty good place for groups (as long as you have a reservation). I went there a couple of weeks ago with some friends and we had a good experience. When we arrived, we were seated quickly because we had a reservation, and overheard other people coming in around the same time being told that there was a 3-hour wait!

    While I don't think that this place (or really any other place, when there are so many great options in Chicago) is worth a 3-hour wait, we had some pretty tasty fare - some of the tapas we tried were the brussels sprout salad, tortilla espanola, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, roast dates wrapped in bacon, and the chicken paella. All were good, but I especially enjoyed the brussels sprout salad and goat cheese. I wasn't a fan of the chicken paella, but my husband really liked it. FYI, you have to order a minimum of 2 servings of paella and that was more than enough - 2 servings is a HUGE portion. We definitely had to box some of the paella up to take with us.

    The other tapas were a decent size, but not meant for sharing with more than two or three people. Tapas are meant for just getting a small taste of everything, so you may have to order quite a few things. But the prices are reasonable and the food does fill you up more than you would think.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/7/2012

    This is  a very trendy place! Love the tapas especially the seafood paella! Big portions, love!!!

    I'm not a fan of dates, but their bacon wrapped dates are so good! I also like the calmari, yum! Their sangria is delicious, too! I had a great time and loved almost every tapa we ordered. It is quite expensive but the food is yum and definitely make reservations a week in advance if you have a big party. They book up really fast, especially on the weekends.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/5/2012
    1 check-in

    Had the 9 appetizer platter (everything was good except the tuna and deviled egg), garlic shrimp (garlic oil is delicious!), fried calamari (sauces were good but there was too much breading), bacon wrapped dates (a must try), seafood paella (good flavor, tiny scallops), goat cheese in tomato sauce (probably the best thing on the menu), rib roast (tender and mashed potatoes were standard), bacon chorizo, spicy potatoes (one of the best things I tried), blue cheese steak (tender, the boyfriend loved it), and moors chicken (good, tender chicken in an Indian inspired sauce, interesting textures with dried fruit and cauliflower)

    All of the food was delicious, prices were appropriate, service is friendly and efficient.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/21/2014
    1 check-in

    I came here for the first time earlier this week and I really enjoyed it! I'm not a huge tapas fan normally, so this was a pleasant surprise. My boyfriend and I split the bacon and dates, the garlic shrimp and the pork belly paella. The garlic shrimp was really good, but a little oily. The paella was good too, but I think I'd prefer the seafood paella. The bacon and dates tasted like...bacon. Not much surprise there. We also got a pitcher of the blood orange sangria. The sangria was pretty good, but very similar to white wine sangria. I'm normally more of a red sangria person, just because white can be too sweet, but the blood orange sangria was light and delicious. We also used the Yelp check-in deal to get free desserts. I got the coconut flan and my boyfriend got the caramel bananas. The caramel bananas were overly sweet compared my flan, but alone, it was good. The flan was amaaazing! Overall the food was delicious. The service was awesome, because we sat at the bar, so we never had to flag down a waiter. The only downfall for this place was the price for me. It was a little pricy for the tapas, especially with the portion size, but everything was definitely worth it. I'd for sure come back!

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/26/2012

    Came here with two girlfriends on a Sunday afternoon. This was my first time trying tapas and I am still unsure about my feelings towards it. I was surprised at how large the restaurant is. Nice decor and ambiance. Only negative was that we were seating in what seems like a private dinning area next to a large party of 12. Their children were running around all over us.

    Anyways, back to the food. We shared the following:
    1. Bacon wrapped dates - ok
    2. Grilled shrimp with olive oil and garlic - yummy
    3. Baked goat cheese with tomato sauce - ok
    4. Summer salad - yummy
    5. Beef empanadas - yummmmmmmmmmmmmy
    6. Spicy potatoes - ok

    Out of the 6 we tried, the winners to me were the beef empanada and grilled shrimp. Everything else was underwhelming and slightly mediocre. I was kind of shocked at the correlation between portion size and price. It was $5-6 for 1 medium sized empanada. Maybe I like to eat more than a bit when I share my food.

    Overall, it was not bad. But I will be checking out other tapas places before I have the urge to go back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/5/2014

    I absolutely love this place. One of my favorite places in Chicago. Be prepared to wait for a table. I am not sure if they take reservations. Try anything. It is all good.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/7/2013
    1 check-in

    One of the main reasons I choose to dine out is because I want the restaurant to have a certain ambiance.

    When I go out for Italian food, its not that I am craving Chicken Cacciatore, I also want the over the top waiter, the dim lighting, the Italian wine, the Sinatra in the background, etc.

    Because I want to be "transported" you could say, I loved being at Cafe BBR. I loved the hustle and bustle, the warm dining rooms, being close to other people with their friends and family. It felt like what it might be like to be in Spain. Because, Lord knows, I have never been.

    Between our group of 8, we went through 2 pitchers of Pomegrante Sangria and a pitcher of red wine sangria, and about 10-15 small plates. The food was great, but specifically I remember the spicy garlic shrimp and the patatas bravas.. yummmmmmmy

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/1/2011
    7 check-ins
    Listed in Tapas & Sangria!

    I would like to think that I have been to almost every Tapas restaurant in the city and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is my favorite! Actually it is one of my favorite places to eat!

    First their Mango, Peach, or any white sangria is great!
    Bloody Mary bar=A+

    Now of course I was first skeptical about this place because it was higher priced than most tapas places....but they have the most delicious patatas bravas from all the other places that it is so worth it! I am seriously drooling right now thinking about them...

    Their mushroom empanada is great and so is their stuffed mushrooms (Being a vegetarian I always order it).

    My meat eating friends always have to get the chicken curry salad (I sneak in a taste) and sausage tapas.

    They have these dates in bacon....well anything with bacon is generally good...

    If you have never tried tapas this place is the place to go! I have convinced most of my friends to meet me there for lunch or dinner just so I can have an excuse to go! After writing this I am already planning my next Tapas trip!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/14/2013

    Great atmosphere, waiter is extremely helpful. I took my mom to this place on a Friday night, and it was such a great choice! Kind of far, and parking is hard to find, but once you eat the food you won't think twice about it.

    Some highlights were the Sangria, the shrimp, and of course the delicious scallops! Definitely go with a group of friends or with anyone who just like tapas!

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/30/2013

    All tapas (and sangria ) taste alike for me, at least from the places I have been to. However, this place is more expensive and make you wait longer.

    The tenderloin and blue cheese is probably most expensive stake (on per ounce basis) I have ever ordered but not the most impressive one, not even close.

    Maybe I should try some of their not chef recommended dishes to see if I will be surprised.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/18/2013
    3 check-ins

    If I walked out of the restaurant and was hit by a bus I would die a happy girl! Best tapas I've ever had. Great service too! Our waitress Danielle was energetic,
    engaging and gave great recommendations!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/19/2014

    one of the best tapas style restaurants I've ever been with delicious food!  we ordered about 8 different dishes and a bottle of wine; the food came out quickly and service was great.  the warm potato and onion omelette is a definite must have!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/11/2013
    2 check-ins

    Consistently delicious...not much else to say other than make sure to make reservations on the weekend!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/3/2013

    It's a Tapas restaurant.  It's great for groups because the physical space is enormous and the table can order a wide variety of items.  Much like every Tapas restaurant.

    I will give Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba the slight edge over the very similar Emilio's and Iberico because I think it offers slightly better Sangria.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/1/2014
    1 check-in

    The goat cheese balls are simply amazing. I could live off them. Don't go there hungry though cause you'll spend a fortune

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    9/15/2013
    2 check-ins

    I live close to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and have been a handful of times. I've tried a lot of their menu items and really liked the proscuitto wrapped dates, the goat cheese and tomato sauce, and the croquettes. It is slightly overpriced for what you get and it adds up fast. Also, they took churros off the dessert menu, which should be considered a sin.

    If you are planning on going on a friday or saturday night, you should make reservations a few days before.

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/5/2014

    3 only because of the service. I think I went on a Saturday night. Came with a group of 8. The waiter was nice and prompt in the beginning but as the night went on I felt like our table was being a little ignored. Food was excellent no complaints there. Went there for a birthday actually and at the end when it came to pay I felt like the waiter purposely put the check in front of me and made a stereotype comment...which was rude. Manager offered a free meal or gift card next time but never went back to redeem it cause I was that appalled. Parking was hectic as always. Side street parking and you can't park right next door in front cause supposedly its a taxi pick up spot.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/25/2014

    Great food and Sangria! Perfect place for people and nice for groups!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/4/2012

    I can't believe I never wrote a review here as this used to be my favorite Lincoln Park Spanish place! Been here numerous times and what I remember most is their incredible PEACH sangria. In fact, I've had both the red and the white, but nothing compares to the peachy, white, delicious flavor of this one. We always get it. The atmosphere is really cute, very Barcelona style, however it does get a little loud for my taste, but the more of that Sangria that you drink, the less you will mind. Now onto the food, everything we had here was delicious from the calamari, both grilled and fried, the garlic shrimp, the potatoes, I mean you name it, it's good here! This place just screams, "YOU WILL HAVE A GOOD TIME HERE NO MATTER WHAT!" Oh and I definitely remember the banana and ice cream dessert--it resembles something interesting ;)

    It's definitely an adorable place for a girls night out or date night, but make sure you make reservations otherwise, you will be waiting a while.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/16/2012
    1 check-in

    Ok, so I learned that I have to come here again because I did not get anything from the REAL menu...ugh!

    But I will talk about my bunch day at CBBR. It was great, but hit and misses. I got the peach sangria, mainly because of the Yelp reviews on it. I did not like the mix at all. The balance between alcohol and peach mix was not done well. I also did not receive any bread on my wait, which was also disappointing.

    But the BACON MAC and CHEESE dish was the bomb! Wow. I really want some more. Like right now. Like, maybe I can get some this weekend. OMG, it was so good! Next up was the French toast, which was okay, but baked very hard. It was hard to cut through. A mistake was the cheese and potatoes. They arrived cold and bland.

    So as you can see, my love here is for the bacon mac and cheese. I loved it. But I will come here again to try more of the regular menu that many rave about. But for right now, I really like their bacon Mac and cheese.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/31/2012
    1 check-in

    When  my friend suggested tapas at a place called ba-ba-reeba.... I thought, um... but this place didn't disappoint.  We got off to a strange start - we waited for our table for about 30 minutes, and then when they called my name, we walked up and told us that our party had already been seated.  Basically the hostess thinking I was lying about having a reservation.  Apparently, some wench stole our table.  Luckily, it was resolved right away and they sat us at another table.  

    In any event, first order of business, a pitcher of Sangria!  Tasty, a bit on the sweet side, but still good.  Our waitress seriously sucked though.  She moved about as fast as a snail.  But it was okay, because the tapas were good!!  Bacon wrapped dates... my fav!!  There were a few we ordered that weren't out of the world... the sweet potatoes, a little mushy.  But otherwise, everything we got was great!  And we have to love yelp... checked in and got a free tapas size dessert!

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/28/2012

    I would say more like 3 1/2 stars. This place serves a great function as an easy resturant to go with a big group of people.

    The tapas are nothing out of the ordinary, but everything is definitely good. The service is a bit too quick. The food came out too close together. I would have liked to have more time between the plates.

    Favorites:
    Goat Cheese Dip (again nothing special)
    Short Ribs
    Potatas Bravas
    Cheese Plates (except the waiter did not tell us what was what and it isnt listed on the menu)
    Chicken Skewers

    The dessert REALLY stood out. The chocolate and the caramel were out of this world!!!

    If you want a fun, inexpensive place to drink with a big group--this is a great choice!

  • 2.0 star rating
    2/10/2014
    1 check-in

    The service we received was sub par. Our sever was less than attentive. My date tried to summon her to the table on many occasions and was ignored. Our busboy was the only reason I gave this place 2 stars. I wanted to tip him instead of the server. I am assuming she thought her tip was going to be minimal because we decided to partake of the restaurant week deal. It took a while in between courses which was pretty surprising. Even with the deal our check was about $130 which is a pretty hefty check for 2 people considering the price of their menu. My date works in the service industry so he tipped 25%. She is very lucky I was out with him and not my friends because under normal circumstances this lack luster experience would have warranted a discussion with the manager.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/20/2014

    This place is one of my favorites in Chicago. However, my husband, who has a food allergy was not able to eat much there despite me having called ahead of time so that they could accommodate him. The service is ok, but i'd still give it 4 stars because of the standard menu (if you don't need any changes made and can order things as they are), ambience and prices.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/1/2014

    One of my favorite Tapas places in the city. Just so beautiful inside, everyone is super nice, and totally affordable! And when it's nice outside they have a nice back area to sit outside. The Sangria is the best! So addicting, before you know it you have gone through pitchers! There is nothing on this menu that isn't worth trying.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/7/2014

    I've been to this restaurant.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/19/2014
    1 check-in

    Great service and a wonderful way to try many dishes. Bacon dates, lamb kebab, and goat cheese baked in tomato, all great choices!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/27/2014
    1 check-in

    Amazing food and ambiance! I can't wait till I can go back again :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/19/2013
    2 check-ins

    Favorite tapas place in the chicagoland area!!!

    Tried the sweet potato patatas bravas for the 1st time and they are definitely right on par with the regular patatas bravas.

    Some of our usuals (and favorites) are:
    -chorizo wrapped dates & cheese pintxos
    -patatas bravas
    -pork ribs with sherry glaze
    -goat cheese with tomato sauce

    Always a fan of the seasonal sangrias.

    Enjoy!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/8/2014

    I love this place!

    I have been here numerous times for big group dinners as well as small, intimate dinners and it's always a good time. The ambience is a little noisy and hard to hear people sometimes but not more than an average restaurant of the same size.

    The sangria is delicious! We always get the pitcher to share with the whole table and it's always a favorite.

    The food is amazing! I highly recommend the stuffed mushrooms, beef tenderloin, lamb kabobs, spanish sausage and any paella - it is all sooo good!

    I've never been there for brunch but I imagine it's also really great.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/4/2014

    I have been here on a few occasions, and I am a large fan. The selection and quality of tapas Ba-Ba-Reeba has is great. The ambience of the place is nice as well. With out a doubt make arangements for reservations. This place is VERY popular. Without reservations on a weekend, you will expect to wait 1 hour or more. Now, this is not an insult, but a tribute to how popular and great of a place it is. This is a great date place to bring someone to.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/16/2014

    Babareeba staff treats customers so they come back.  This is the second time we program an event at Babareeba, the first a few years ago, the second this past weekend.  Clearly they have not lost their touch!

    The event was very well coordinated, the service attentive to everyone needs.  Upon arrival the table was ready, pre-ordered drinks were ready, so our group could concentrate on sharing with each other.  The seafood paella was wonderful as all the tapas.

    We were very pleased and want to again thank all the staff.  We will be back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/3/2013
    1 check-in

    The best tapas I've ever had!!!
    I skipped the brunch and tried their popular dinner items instead, and everything I had were uniquely delicious!
    I usually don't care for tapas because I don't believe in paying too much for small plated food, but this place changed my mind about tapas.
    The prices were great and the servings were more than enough to feed 3 people.
    I will definitely come back when I'm in town!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/13/2013

    I really like this place, and I love tapas for group dinners because the food becomes an activity and it's great. You can honestly order anything off this menu and it will be good. I wish I remember the items that stood out, but I remember not disliking anything we've ever had there. Great place, especially for groups!

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/14/2014

    The food was all pretty good but for someone like me that eats a lot, the portions are really small so I ended up having to double my order and double my bill

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/10/2012
    1 check-in

    I was here a few times several years ago and had all but totally forgotten about it.  The last month I was looking for a place to have dinner with a friend before a concert at the Park West.  I stumbled upon Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and recalled fond memories of sangria and not being very adventurous with my food selections.

    First up, I made a 6:00 reservation through Yelp/ OpenTable which was incredibly easy.  It turned out we were going to be about 30 minutes late.  I called to adjust but the host told me they were full at 6:30 but she would note the reservation and we would be seated as soon as possible.  We got there shortly before 6:30 and were seated almost immediately.

    Our waiter was friendly and provided excellent service.

    The space itself is kind of odd.  It almost feels like being in a house with a lot of dining rooms.  Tables are kind of close together in some areas, but I didn't feel like I was sitting on top of the people next to me.

    The peach sangria was as awesome as I remembered, and the food did not disappoint either.  In fact, I think it was even better this time because I've become much more adventurous in my food selection and was willing to try things I wouldn't have touched a few years ago.  The two of us ordered the scallops, spaghetti squash, cranberry vinaigrette; the roast dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette; the spinach & manchego stuffed mushrooms; the baked goat cheese in tomato sauce; and the butternut squash & cheese toast, kale & apple salad.  We both agreed the scallops left something to be desired, but everything else was absolutely incredible.

    I hope I don't wait another 3- 4 years before I come back again!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/4/2014

    Made a reservation last min, was seated right away. Sangria was very good, maybe ordered too much but we drank it. Enjoyed all he food we ordered, no complaints on the food. The food comes out randomly which kind of works but you fill up on one dish and then the next one comes. Enjoyed dining here.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/14/2013

    This was my second time visiting Ba Ba Reeba and I loved it as much as the first!  The entire vibe of the place is relaxed and indulgent.  My mother and I were going to see Deepak Chopra so I decided to take her to a delicious dinner before hand.  We started with a jarra of the Vina Pedrosal...fantastic! For food, we got the endive salad, grilled squid, and the peppers stuffed with scallops (special of the night).  All three were great.  I could have eaten 3 orders of the peppers and called it a night! We then ordered the spinach stuffed mushrooms, the lamb kabobs, the bacon wrapped dates, and what they called "happy ham" (also a special of the night).  All were delicious.  The dates are a must for me.  We decided we could have done without the ham.  Though delicious, it was too heavy and we would have rather have stuck to veggies and seafood.  Along with these, we ordered a jarra of the Ergo.  It was much like a Pinot Noir and very good.  For dessert, I ordered the dark chocolate with orange marmalade and my mom ordered the butterscotch.  Perfect ending!

    Love it here!  Plus the prices are not bad and for my mother and I, it was about a $50 dinner each...that includes the things we could have done without!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/15/2013

    As someone who is originally from Madrid, I must say this place is great and pretty authentic, yes it is somewhat Americanized, but its done so in a positive way: I had never heard of peach sangria before but it was surprisingly delicious. The patatas bravas (pissed off potatoes) are to die for and the Paellas are delicious as well.

    Overall a great place, good dining, and lots of fun.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/15/2013 Updated review
    4 check-ins
    Listed in Sweet Home Chicago

    After being contacted by a very concerned manager after my last experience (which I yelped), I was more than happy to stop back in and give them a try. I am glad I did.

    Went in on a very busy Sunday evening. Place was full and we were seated in back. I was a little worried that we would get forgotten back there but I was wrong about that. Unlike the last time, our waiter was outstanding. Wish I remembered his name. Tall skinny white guy. He never left us too long but didn't over do it either. The bus boys were on it too: Waters always full and plates always quickly cleaned. Full water is something I am soooooo picky about.

    Now on to the food. Uh, yum. My husband is a baker and is always extremely critical about bread. He LOVES the bread here. To start we ordered the wood roasted pepper, eggplant and tomato spread which was delicioooooousss!!! I could have ordered more but after receiving it and ordering a ridiculous amount of tapas I just couldn't.

    I ordered the citrus cured salmon thinking it was one I had last time and they had no problem switching it for the one I thought it was. That grilled salmon & pesto is on point. One thing I adore about this place is the sauces, and my husband agrees. Fish was cooked to perfection.

    Apple spinach salad w/ quinoa was ok, nothing special. Could have used a few more apples. Needed salt or more acidity. Wasn't bad though and perfectly dressed.  

    Chicken empanada wasn't as good as I remember it but I think that was my pallet with the other items. He enjoyed it.

    Lamb Kabab: Great flavor and juicy. Sauce was bomb.

    As usual I love love LOVED the stuffed mushrooms. Great flavor and a nice crunch on top. Those patatas bravas. Um, yum. That sauce. Lord that sauce.

    Husband really loved the shrimp with garlic and ended up dipping bread in the olive oil marinade it was in. I wasn't in the mood for shrimp so I didn't have any but he said he loved it.

    For dessert I had the butter scotch which was great!!! Loved it. Hubby ordered a kids portion of the churros. We both preferred them alone without the chocolate sauce.

    We also had two cups of coffee but GASP $3.25 for a small cup! I found that to be a little expensive.

    Overall I had a great dining experience and will definitely be back. Being that my last experience (service wise) wasn't 100%, I will bump them up to 5 stars if my next visit is as good as this one.

    Thanks again to the manager for reaching out. It really does say a lot about a place when they care about a person who didn't have the best experience.

    3.0 star rating
    1/5/2013 Previous review
    Alright, I have to take back what I said before. I went back in with my BFF and her Momma on a… Read more
    5.0 star rating
    11/11/2012 Previous review
    OK seriously, I don't know how anyone can give this place less than 4 stars.

    The overall ambiance of…
    Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    12/26/2012

    Good tapas, huge restaurant, and a menu that is fun and easy to navigate for any tapas lover.  Superb service from the greeting to the seating.

    We started with the platter of six bite size tapas, and then shared a small bowl of delicious potato leek soup, garnished with crisp serrano ham. Next up, beef tenderloin w/ blue cheese,a side of marinated olives, and the lushy sweet but salty dates wrapped in bacon. Onward said our taste buds and stomachs! Then fresh perfectly cooked shrimp in lemon,olive oil, and garlic and a small spinach salad with wafer thin apples wedges, quinoa sprinkles, with a citrus vinagrette. Food this tasty does compel one to write about it and recommend it.

    Good service! The bunches of little plates we cleaned were cleared quickly, water re-poured without asking. Service was exceptional!

    We skipped dessert. Next time I return, I will do my tapas backwards and start with the dessert.

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/8/2014

    This review is the sum of 2 visits
    The first visit was ok and liked the new type of food  it was better tasting
    The second time today was ridiculous
    Food was bad  the 11 dollar tappa with beef sirloin was a plate with loads of potato chips and a tiny piece of beef with cheese on it no sause or anything.  Even the one thing i expected to be good  like last time was much worse and bland the devilled eggs

    I dont know if they changed cooks  waiters but this place is no bueno

    The first visit waitress was really nice
    Second visit waitress was rude the only time she ever smiled was when i handed her money and thats messed up

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/29/2013
    2 check-ins

    Ok. Just wow. I ate at Cafe Iberico yesterday and it just doesn't compare. This place is just amazing.
    They have a great selection of sangria as well and it's delicious.

    I went with a friend and we had 4 tapas. The patatas bravas and the croquetas were INSANE. The calamari and the buttered prawns were great to. Dying to go back.

    Service was a little slow though - not going to lie. It got a little annoying but the food was worth it.

    Also, the ambiance is awesome. Great energy to the place. It is a little noisy though.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/15/2014

    Soo.. I don't know.  My sister hyped this place up, but I didn't leave falling in love. The staff was friendly. Thank you to the guy that brought us the happy hour menu, so we could get extra tapas for on the loww $

    We went an hour before closing,  but the place was still packed. We were seated right away, No reservations,  but service was slow & we had 4 or 5 different servers, which threw me off a bit. I guess I'm being picky, but no heads up about it...me likes to build a rapport with whoever is going to be handling my food, ya heard?

    Anyhoo...waited around for people to take our orders, bring food out, etc. Everything took longer than it probably should have. Again,  they had enough staff, so I don't understand why that was the case.

    The food itself was good,  a bit heavy on some of the sauces. I really liked the chicken w cauliflower plate, so so flavorful! The original sangria was nothing noteworthy. Good cappuccino,  we needed it for the long drive home.

    So.....A solid 3.5 from me.  I'd give it another shot,  since the bill didn't hurt the wallet. Again,  the redeeming quality was the server that hooked it up w the bar menu, super nice guy. ..thanks man!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/24/2012

    I recently used their catering service. The package was ok but I wished I knew earlier or thought of it that hot tapas are supposed to be hot...they are not that good cold. Cafe Ba-ba-Reba catered food but nothing else and did not suggest how to keep the food warm. So maybe it is me, maybe it is them but my hot tapas were cold and I did not like.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/29/2012

    Every time I got on Yelp to write a review, this place always came up. After a long time of planing on coming here, I finally got to have lunch here this past Saturday. The brunch and lunch menu were both intriguing, but we decided to go with the lunch menu, because it seemed more intriguing....

    First off, I have to mention the drink experience: The make-your-own bloody marry drew my attention, but I decided to go for a glass of rose. Needles to say, my husband said he had never seen me finish a glass of wine quicker before! He had the raspberry sangria, which I has a sip of, and it was DELICIOUS.

    We ordered several plates to try and I am mentioning them without a particular order of preference, because I cannot honestly rank one as better than the other:

    Scallops on a bed of squash spaghetti was superb; delicious and well balanced.

    The grilled octopus was tender and cooked to perfection.

    The spiced potatoes, which I did not want to order at first, complemented each plate we tasted. They were great on its own or dipped in the aioli sauce.

    The sausage sampler plate, was absolutely delicious!

    I passed on the Tresleches, but given that my husband thanked me for not sharing in the joy, I figured that was delicious too!

    All in all a great lunch experience and I left shaking my head and thinking: while better than never, I should have come here way earlier than I did!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/27/2013

    I came here for my sister's rehearsal dinner, and wow, what a great Chicago place to bring out-of-towners!  The bottomless Sangria was A-mazing; I had never had white sangria, but theirs was superb.  The food was very good too.  As with many tapas places, the small dishes were quite carb (bread/potato) heavy with lots of garlic, but we all enjoyed them.

    For those booking a party, the party room had a great atmosphere and was very warm and cozy.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/15/2012

    This is one of my favorite tapas places in Chicago. The pitcher of their classic red sangria definitely took the dining experience to the next level.

    I loved all the tapas I tried. You can't go wrong with their fried calamari and salmon dishes. Both of the salmon "small" dishes are so worth it. Also, the ahi tuna over a bed of capers and olives are the perfect compliment to each other.

    My favorite seafood dish by far was the scallops; they were perfectly tender and juicy.

    The beef skewers and beef tenderloin are both hearty dishes and when paired with the potato salad-it's like having a deconstructed steak dinner! The paella con pollo y verduras came last and I was only disappointed because I didn't have enough room in my stomach to fit it all.

    We are not as a big of a fan of their brunch menu, however. (Maybe it's because I am not partial to American-style breakfast items).

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/5/2012
    2 check-ins
    Listed in Good for Groups

    This place doesn't interest me, maybe because I'm not much of a tapas fan.  Been here several times on dates and with a group.  I don't remember being blown away by any of their tapas- I do like their sangria!  Tapas is great to share so it's good for groups.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/8/2013

    Nice, lively place for tapas! Try the chicken paella. Delish.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/11/2014

    Fantastic service and outstanding food.  Our server, Sophia, was so delightful and kind which made eating here all the better. I have eaten here a couple times now and i HIGHLY recommend this restaurant to anybody who wants to enjoy some of the best food in Chicago.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/1/2013
    2 check-ins
    Listed in Chicago Favorites

    I am salivating as I write this review.  I came with a large group of girls for tapas and sangria.  We had a reservation and were seating promptly at a great table.  We ordered so many things, the best by far were the bacon wrapped shrimp, chrorizo wrapped medjool dates, and patatas bravas.  My only complaint was that I had to share them.  :)  Next time I go back I am going to be ordering my own plates and keeping them to myself! Yum, yum, yum...

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/18/2014
    2 check-ins

    Great place! With Several Great Tapas places all around the Chicagoland area this one stands out. Really liked everything on the menu we tried including the deserts.  Also had the Blood Orange seasonal sangria that was very good as well..  Highly recommended.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/8/2012

    Went here to celebrate my birthday on a Thursday at about 7.

    It was crowded! The hostess said it would be an hour wait! (Probably because it was Easter weekend)

    But she said there was no wait at the bar...if we could find a spot. We somehow managed to find a table at the bar! :)

    Service was relatively quick, we were waited on by the bartender, who did an excellent job balancing a few tables and making the whole restaurant's drinks. All of our food and drinks came out quickly.

    We ordered:

    -Dates wrapped in bacon
    -Garlic Shrimp
    -Beef Empanada
    -Appetizer platter

    Everything was tasty, although I felt like the portions were pretty small for the price....$9 for 4 regular sized shrimp? I can't complain, because at the end of the meal I was in a serious food coma.

    On a side note: the sangrias are yummy.

    And pparently their olive oil is imported from Spain? Either way, it was awesome, and I loved the bread they brought to the table. So tasty!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/17/2014
    1 check-in

    Food is great and the sangria is even better!  Arguably one of the best tapas restaurants I've been to in Chicago.  Definitely try the bacon wrapped dates, beef tenderloin, and the garlic shrimp!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    4/30/2013
    1 check-in

    Spanish brunch at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. Oh yes.

    First off, it's quite a lovely restaurant. The warm wooden accents running through the brick structure is the perfect setting for spending some time with friends and family over a fantastic meal.

    But let's get to some food! Right off the bat, the bread with the jam: highly addictive. You have no idea. Pintxos, we just tried a couple of the waffle-battered chicken sticks, more or less passable. Let's get to some of the real dishes. Brunch paella, great, though it was a somewhat unpaella-like dish, not in a pan or anything. Waffles, sweet, and a nice contrast to the savory dishes around the table. Patatas bravas were a good rendition. The braise short-rib was flavorful and tender. Croquettes were fantastic. One of the main highlights was also the plato de la casa, with cured meats and tomato jam crostini. That tomato jam was fantastic! Incredibly tomato-y and was a big hit around the table.

    Service, fantastic!

    Overall, this place is an establishment for a reason. If you're thinking about going, I say, what are you waiting for!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/5/2012
    9 check-ins
    Listed in Good for Groups

    Tapas is my favorite word.

    A small flavorful dish just enough for our palate. The portions are just enough to know what's good. Everything is meant to be shared. You can't help but think of friends and family in a setting like this. I've been with decent size groups. Staff is way accommodating.

    What I've eaten so far...
    garlic potato salad...Mmm...
    patatas bravas...mmmmmmm....
    shrimp with garlic and olive oil
    fried calamari
    serrano ham, salchichon, chorizo and mechego
    roasted dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette
    meatballs with sherry tomato sauce

    Gotta say everything was cooked really well.  We even requested the shrimp that is served on this hanging skewer thing usually served for hosted private parties. My girlie who adores this place was familiar with this item as she frequents it a-many a times.  I am not a fan of crazy, over the top presentations. Meaning, I don't have fun at hibachi Benihana-esque places ain't my cuppa tea. This thing was just swinging in front of my face blocking the view of my friends in front of me. As front it's presentation, it was alright. Spices and flavors melded well. Nothing was bland or too powerful.

    Service was good. It took a while to bring our second order of patatas bravas. When the waitress finally came with it she acknowledged and apologized for waiting and ended up taking it off our check. They definitely took care of us.

    Great and a lively place for groups. Reservations are much needed. There are more things on the menu I really want to dig into. Paella's next on my list....

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/15/2013

    My boyfriend and I met his sister, brother in-law, and parents here on a Saturday night around six a few months back. It was our first time at a  tapas restaurant and our waiter was so patient and explained how the meal generally went. He also took his time describing the different options and what was spicy and not etc. Everything I tried was delicious. Between the six of us I think we tried just about everything on the menu. Their alcoholic drinks are a bit light on the alcohol but still tasty.

    As I just mentioned we went on a Saturday night and we did have reservations, thankfully. Parking was a bit hard to find and the restaurant is a tight fit, so you'll be weaving around people and tables to get to the bathroom. Other than that we had an excellent time.

    Each dish is generally $6 and up, plus their small, so this is a spendy night.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/15/2014
    1 check-in

    It's always fund to go here - interesting and delicious food, small plates so you can try lots of things, tasty cocktails and attentive service.  Loved everything we had except the blood sausages in the mixed sausage plate (called something else on menu).

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/23/2014

    Great place!  Everything we tried was really nice and good portion sizes.  We would go back in a second and try other dishes.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/14/2014

    Very nice place. Prices are very fair, the food is great and very typical. I am from a Spanish family and I was well surprised by the quality. A place to try!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/9/2013
    1 check-in

    This place reminds me of some little places in Spain but in Chicago.

    The food is fantastic, an amazing energy for a date or a group of friends.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/22/2013

    I had heard very good things about this place and because it is right near me, I decided to try it yesterday.  Long story short I was pretty underwhelmed from all the rave reviews I had heard of it.

    I will admit that I'm a tad bias because I have a big appetite and I'm not a huge fan of sharing tons of small plates because it usually leaves me hungry afterwards.

    That being said, a lot of the dishes were very tasty, my favorite was probably the garlic shrimp, chicken/chorizo kebob, and the bacon mac-n-cheese was pretty good too.  Everything else was just ok in my opinion.

    I would have been willing to give this place 4 stars, but I think the prices were a little of the high side for the average to above-average quality of them and being pretty small portions.  Most of the dishes are $10+.

    So at the end of the meal our total was over $230 for 5 people and because they were small plates, I was hungry again within an hour.  It was a good experience other than the price but I probably wouldn't go back mainly because its not my style.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/3/2014

    Came here a w group of friends and great food, great service and we will definitely be back!!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/5/2013

    This is by far one of my favorite tapas places in the city.  Patatas bravas are my thang and they have it down to a science.  

    Crispy chunks of potatoey goodness, creamy spicy sauce on the side.  Yum.    Bacon wrapped dates with apple chunks and vinegar to cut the sweetness.  Love they name is bacon!!!

    It gets crowded so a reservation recommended, even during the week.  But there is seating at the bar and the patio is first come first serve.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/25/2012

    Cafe-Ba-Ba-Reba was wonderful to work with! I took my sister and 6 friends here for dinner to kick off her bachelorette festivities. I changed the reservation 2 days before and they were wonderfully accommodating.

    Each of us ordered 2 tapas plates and it was fun to share and sample each other's dishes. The festive atmosphere was perfect for such a gathering; we weren't the only ones with the idea as there were 2 other bachelorette parties and  birthday party next to us. Great for groups and special occasions.

    At under $25 a pitcher the sangria is a tasty bargain. I highly recommend it as a pitcher made it around the table and everyone loved the mango flavor.

    I ordered a beef empenada with a perfectly buttery, crisp pastry crust; the filling was a touch spicy, but pleasantly so. I also had the cjphicken and chorizo skewer. It was juicy, well-seasoned and garnished well. The presentation of all plates was artfully done and while small in size, perfect for sharing.

    I was also impressed that the meal came in just over $200 for 7 people (including tip)  and everyone left full and happy with their dishes. Looking forward to coming back with my husband!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/2/2014

    We made a reservation two weeks in advance for the night before Valentine's Day so we could avoid a wait. Still waited for about 10 minutes, but no worries. Everything is really, really good and our server was very helpful with suggestions. We ended up getting 5-6 small plates, two desserts and a couple drinks each. The total bill was EXTREMELY reasonable. I highly recommend the coconut flan.

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/10/2014
    1 check-in

    Went there bc I has been hearing good things about this small spot. I was disappointed. Not at the caliber of other tapas places I go to in River north and Gold Coast. The food was bland, came out cold and the service was lacking. I don't think I'll drive out to wicker park for this restaurant again:(

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/5/2013

    I don't know how I haven't written a review for this place yet! It is delicious! The only downside is that it is often over-crowded and can feel a little chain restaurantish.

    The spicy potatoes, beef skewers, empanadas and bacon wrapped dates are my favorites - to name a few. The sangria is tasty and a good choice if you're not looking for a buzz.  The environment is overall pleasant - especially in the summer, but again, it is pretty crowded and often like walking through a maze to get to your table or to get to the bathroom.

    I'd recommend this place for a group - you end up splitting the bill anyway, so why not get to try a bunch of delicious food. I'll warn you though, the bill can add up!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/5/2014
    1 check-in

    They honored my special/ discount/ free appetizer from Yelp AND the special from my foursquare check-in. All in the same visit! Plus the food is always great at this place. Definitely better than another similar Chicago area restaurant (Tapas Barcelona, in Evanston).

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/11/2013
    1 check-in

    I have been coming to this restaurant for years. I always recommend this place to my friends and co-workers. I decided to celebrate my birthday party at the restaurant for 12 people. I made the reservations for 8:30. We did not get seated until about 9:20!! We kept asking the hostess why it was taking to long and they kept telling us "Almost ready" and that "their getting the table ready" at 8:45, 9:00, and 9:15 pm. I informed the waitress that I had a table reserved at 11 pm at a local nightclub. So I did not want to rush dinner. She said she "understood".

    I know I had said 12 but 3 friends unexpectedly surprised me and when I told the waitress it would 15 she said we would have to sit at separate tables or wait another 30 mins so we can sit together. At that point I was already frustrated with time and went ahead and had 6 guests at one table and 9 at another. The waitress came over and apologized which I appreciated but the LONG wait caused 6 of my guests to sit at another table and I lost my table reservation at the night club. A good manager would have comped something off the bill but that didn't happen.

    I would NOT recommend this place for large parties. I give the food 5 stars but the overall hosting service was poor.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/26/2013

    Decent tapas in a trendy part of Chicago

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/22/2013

    I came here to celebrate an early birthday with a friend. It was my first time eating tapas and this was probably the best place to experience it all. We ordered:

    spinach & manchego stuffed mushrooms- must have!
    patatas bravas
    sweet potato bravas
    tomato gazpacho

    Overall everything was delicious and we had no complaints. One little thing was that we had to wait for the patio seating (it was a gorgeous day!) but it's reasonable because the patio seating is first come first serve. We got sangria at the bar while we waited. Their sangria is yummy according to my friend- and they were nice enough to make me a regular/virgin sangria. The waiter also gave me two birthday desserts for free, which was super nice of him. I plan on coming back and bringing some family with me!

    PS: One of the desserts was the butterscotch and I highly recommend it!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/7/2012

    *sangria del dia- mango! = 5
    *cava sangria= 5
    ^ although the sangrias themselves are amazing, they're served in a pitcher with far too much ice.

    *spicy potatoes with tomato alioli= 5 -- mmm I want them right now!

    *chicken and ham croquetas= 5 -- melt in your mouth good. came with four, wished there were more!

    *bacon wrapped dates= 4 -- standard, but delish

    *shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes= 4 -- great for dipping bread as well :)

    *beef tenderloin & blue cheese= 4 -- two pieces of meat- came with yummy chips

    *goat cheese baked in tomato sauce= 3 -- ok, but, could've done without

    *mussels= 1 -- least fave of the night. i usually love mussels, but these were very smelly and the bread that came with it was extremely burnt

    have heard the short ribs are amazing- will definitely try next time :)

    nice atmosphere & great service

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/28/2010
    4 check-ins

    Amazeballsss haha!! Let me just say that the food and sangria get 5 stars!! Their baked crab & shrimp dip made me cry it was so good. Of course I got their bacon wrapped dates, that's a must. We had their seared Spanish sausages, I'm not a big fan of meat but those were good. I'm giving it a 4 for one reason only:

    We were seated in the "covered" outside patio and when a breeze comes thru in 10 degree weather, NOT PLEASANT AT ALL!! Definitely does not compare to eating outside in 90 degree weather on Las Vegas Boulevard!

    Bottom-line, if you're going to use your summer patio, make sure it's covered well! I did land a nice parking spot right in front of the restaurant though =]

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/30/2011

    I really like tapas. REALLY like tapas. It's my favorite way to eat because you get to try tons of different menu items instead of just one, and the meal turns out to be a couple of hours long because it all comes out staggered and what's more fun than a couple of sangria-filled hours?

    My friend Teddy told me I HAD to try Ba-Ba-Reeba because they have the best tapas around, and I was a little skeptical because St. Louis has some incredible tapas spots and I wasn't sure it would measure up. Good news is that it did! I still like my regular tapas spots better, but we had a total blast and got to enjoy some really great food. This place gets really busy on a Saturday night so make reservations if you can. Per usual with tapas places, it's incredible loud and busy, which is all part of the experience...

    First up was sangria and we had a 1/2 pitcher of the passion fruit, and a 1/2 pitcher of the pear which was their special that night. Passion fruit OMG yes, pear just so-so. Regardless it got the job done and was the perfect compliment to our dinner! Ohh, our dinner. Let me do a rundown of the 238 menu items we ordered. At this point with 1031 reviews I'm not so sure it's necessary, but I'm going to go for it anyway.

    Pintxos platter (FREE when you check in on Yelp! Holla!): Came out RIGHT away and some of it was a little cold... it's worth trying for $9 though because you get five different things. Cool.
    Patatas bravas: One of our favorites that night. That aioli is amazing, especially on top of perfectly seasoned potatoes.
    Goat cheese in tomato sauce: Pretty standard but not the best I've had (I get this dish at every tapas joint and I like it spicy.)
    Champiñones rellenos (spinach & manchego-stuffed mushrooms): SO good. Really great. Must-try if you're a mushroom lover but even if not, the creamy sauce it's in and the filling might sell you.
    Croquetas de pollo y jamón (chicken & ham croquetas): Melt in your mouth quality, and they're served with a sauce similar to tartar sauce that's pretty perfect.
    Bacon-wrapped dates: Pretty standard, still delicious.

    All of the above made for a REALLY fun night and I love that our waiter was dressed as Fred Flinstone but with fake boobs and a fake butt (?). No idea there, but he was great and so was our entire experience. See y'all at the gym in the morning!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/18/2014
    4 check-ins

    Our favorite place to go in Lincoln park. Great service, great food, great atmosphere.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/29/2014
    1 check-in

    The food here is so delicious, I dropped a piece of chorizo on the floor and it sat there for 10 minutes but I still picked it up and ate it.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/11/2013

    I like the food at Baba but the prices have climbed and see getting a bit high.  Also the Red Sangria seemed watered down and weak. Better food and sangria at Iberico...been to both many times

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/27/2014

    I love everything about this place. They dont have an item on their menu I wouldnt like.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/2/2013

    We had a pre-wedding celebration with friends and family at Ba-Ba-Reeba's and thoroughly recommend this to others who may be looking for such a venue.

    About 40 of our friends and family were in attendance, and Ba-Ba-Reeba fit us all into one of their dining rooms. Ashly was a fanstastic help in planning everything with us, from the menu to the room lay-out. The food was wonderfu, featuring of course various paellas for the entrees. Appetizers were terrific as well, gallons of tasty sangria were consumed by one and all.

    My wife and I look forward to going back to Ba-Ba-Reeba to get a table for 2 sometime in the near future, and we expect it will be just as enjoyable (and of course a lot less hectic).

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/11/2013

    Ahh, variety, it's the spice of life.  It could also be the bane of existence for any person that struggles to make a decision.  I'm not talking about which iPhone color to get; I'm just talking about dinner for tonight.  I guess you could say that tapas answers that burning question of what to pick by allowing you to indulge in multiple plates as if you had a personal line to the kitchen.

    Café Ba-Ba Reeba was actually my first tapas experience, and a very nice one at that.  I, having been known to struggle with decisions (friends, stop snickering) saw this discovery as bittersweet.  Due to the fact that I love the idea of tapas after having been introduced to it, but was saddened that so many nights of hair pulling anxiety could have been avoided if I had only known about it sooner.  Ahh, on to the review...Choose the Pintxos Platter and you won't be disappointed.  I can personally vouch for the Chorizo-wrapped Medjool Date & Cheese, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and the Short Rib-Stuffed Piquillo Pepper.  Each of these dishes came two pieces to a plate and they were loaded with enough flavors to send your taste buds into the Merengue.  I could have kept ordering these three dishes all night, but with so many more options how could I not torture myself?  Moving on, the Meatballs with Sherry Tomato Sauce, Chicken & Ham Croquetas and Roast Dates with Bacon & Apple Vinaigrette made their way out.  The stand out dish here was the Croquetas.  Ay, dios mio!  The meatballs were delicious, on a very familiar level, so if you're looking to experience new flavors I would choose something else.  If you want a delicious meatball, order away.  As for the Roast Dates, I would skip them.  These dates are much larger than the dates on the Pitxos menu, so be aware that the main, and almost only, flavor you taste here is the date.  I love dates, but come on, leave some room for the bacon!  

    Another discovery I found that night, yeah I kinda felt like the Ponce de Leon of tapas, was that all these small dishes left me feeling right for some dessert.  The thought of ordering a number of small dishes for dessert left me feeling very empowered and indulgent and not at all indecisive.  A few minutes later I had the Gala Apple Empanada, Marcona Almond Caramel Bar and Chocolate Truffle Cake sitting in front of me.  All amazing choices, but the Marcona Almond Caramel Bar left me wanting more...of it.  I shed a brief tear of sadness when the last bite was finished.  I'm actually finding it difficult to finish this review and not go there for that dish.  

    Lastly, the atmosphere is a fun.  Well lit, lots of different rooms and enough energy to keep your senses dancing.  The bar seats are fun, but they fill up quickly since they are first come, first serve.  The only thing that must stop is the loud speaker calling of names for tables.  This gave it a very cheesy feel and really detracted from what was normally a hip vibe.  

    Noteworthy Points:
    The wait can get long, reserve a spot or scope out the two bar areas that are first come, first serve
    Takes credit cards
    Serves Alcohol
    Street Parking

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/8/2014
    1 check-in

    Went here for a birthday dinner in the midst of the polar vortex craziness, and the place was still pretty full. Impressive.
    Our server was gregarious and attentive. A guy you wouldn't mind being friends with. The food arrived very promptly.
    Between the four of us, we had around 10 tapas before dessert. I was struck by how perfectly cooked and seasoned every single dish was. Seriously, everything we tried was amazing. I particularly enjoyed the stuffed mushrooms (as I love mushrooms...), grilled salmon, and moroccan chicken.  
    Definitely save room for dessert. Upon mention of the occasion, our birthday girl was given a coconut flan and a toffee caramel bar. The flan was denser than any I'd had before, very smooth, and not too sweet. I loved the subtle coconut flavor. Two of the people I was with said the toffee bar was too sweet for them, but I thought its lightness balanced out its sweetness pretty well. The apple empanada was soft and warm and pillowy, and the mango sorbet was good enough to thoroughly enjoy during below-freezing temperatures.
    I left a little too full for my liking but with every intention of returning soon!

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/13/2014

    Great Ambience! Unfortunately my experience there wasn't as great due to people I wen with. I am new to the city and was invited over by a friend to meet some others. Considering it is a tapas place, I was limited to choices because most didn't eat pork, which was still fine, but the other two girls didn't eat anything but 'halal,'which eliminates all meat from being ordered. So, we were limited to Seafood and vegetarian options, which were average. I did order the sear lamb loin with mint salsa verde and pisto manchego. It was pretty good, but not amazing. My friend also ordered for herself the beef skewer with red onions and horseradish cream, which was pretty good. It was more flavorful than the lamb. We ordered the seafood paella, which was alright. I've had better paella elsewhere. The sangria blanco was great. Overall, did not have the best experience, but would return to try again. I could possibly change with a more open minded and fun group of people.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/2/2014

    One of my favorite places to go to in the city for tapas and sangria! Plenty of options on the menu and it is a great restaurant to bring your girlfriends/group of friends. It is usually busy though so definitely call before to make sure there is seating available. The location is great too. So happy I live near this restaurant now so I can stop by more often.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/11/2013

    Service was nice, tapas was better than I remembered. We got the bacon wrapped dates, brussel sprout salad, potaters, and squid.  All were pretty perfect.  Pomegranate sangria was yummy, if a touch too sweet.  It was my friend's b-day and we got a delicious caramel tart with whipped cream and a candle! Yay!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/15/2012
    3 check-ins

    I'm a loyal fan of Cafe Bab-Ba-Reeba and I have been for about 10 years now.  

    They have excellent tapas and sangria.  A few of my favorites are....

    1) Las patatas bravas/ spicy potatoes
    2) Chapinones Rellenos / stuffed mushrooms
    3) Gambas al ajillo/ Garlic Shrimp
    4) Croquetas de pollo y jamon/ ham & chicken croquetas
    5) pinxos...croquetas de chapinones/ mushroom croquetas
    6) Jamon serrano
    7) Empanadas are delicious

    The paella is delicious but you have to have enough time to wait for it to come out.  It's usually a 30-45 minute wait on paella.  I love the seafood paella.  

    Excellent beer, I just tried the Alhambra beer.  Tasty and goes well with the food.  Now the question is where can I buy some of this beer to drink with our dinner at home?

    All of the desserts are delicious.  They are tiny so you may want to order a few (three) and share with your date or friends.  

    Ba-Ba-Reeba tends to be crowded on the weekends. Especially from 6 to 10 pm.  I was pleasantly surprised to walk in on Valentine's day and get a table.  I thought for sure we would eat at the bar area and I was ok with that.  I really do love the food here, the waiters and hostesses are so friendly and helpful.  

    Parking is tight in Lincoln Park so you may have to valet.  Or you might get lucky and get a pay to park spot on the street.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/21/2014
    2 check-ins

    My favorite tapas place in town! I think what sets it above the rest is the amazing service. Additional pluses are the delicious sangria and plates! I highly recommend the bacon wrapped dates, patatas bravas, goat cheese in tomato sauce, and the shrimp with garlic and olive oil.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/6/2012

    *gasp* can't believe I just rated it a 3-star, coz i just love saying the word babareeba but I was honestly a little bit disappointed...

    So it's like one dish ruined my mood and no matter how good the rest of the meal was I was unfairly biased...

    Bacon and dates - after having this dish at Avec, I was so excited to try it at ba ba. The dates were small and dry and the presentation was, sad to say, awful. I mean toothpicks pricking through the giant piece of bacon wrapping around tiny dates??? I know it's tapas i know it's supposed to be laid-back, chill and all that, but still...

    spinach and manchego-stuffed mushrooms: this is so delicious. Perfect bite size. Great with the sangria we got. Actually everything was great with the sangria.

    goat cheese baked in tomato sauce - I never would have thought that i'd enjoy goat cheese so much! We also did not waste any of the sauce - it paired so well with the complimentary bread.

    shrimp with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes - I am a shrimp fanatic. And the fact that I do not recall anything about this dish speaks a lot. There is a reason it's a popular dish and I must have enjoyed it.

    seafood paella - refreshing and delightful.

    desserts - bite size samplers. This is just so cute and delicious! I loved loved loved the creme brulee. It was a chore though to try to divvy up everything 4 parts so I might have gladly had more than my share of everything :p.

    I loved the ambiance of the restaurant. It's a perfect spot for a relaxing dinner and good friends catching up with a glass of sangria, which could have been stronger, btw...

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/17/2012
    1 check-in

    Came here on a Thursday night with a reservation for 6pm. When my friend and I arrived, the host led us through a winding path around the restaurant, when we finally got to our seats. The point I'm trying to make is, this restaurant is huge! But it was fairly empty when we got there--probably cause it was a Thursday night.

    We started off with the black raspberry sangria. MMMMM MMM GOOD. So sweet and delicious, don't make the mistake of just ordering a half pitcher, like we did, and go for the entire pitcher.

    The menu is pretty extensive, but they make it pretty simple to pick what to order, since all their house favorites are marked in red. We had the shrimp, spicy potatoes, and short rib (all marked in red), and the chicken empanada. All really tasty, flavorful, etc. My favorite was probably the shrimp--it had garlic and hot peppers, oil, all that good stuff. Plus, once youre done eating all the shrimp, it makes for a great dipping sauce for the complimentary bread they give you!

    Last but not least, you get a FREE DESSERT WITH YELP CHECKIN WOOHOO so naturally, had to get the dessert plate, where you can sample like 6 different desserts. Perfect way to end dinner!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/19/2014
    1 check-in

    Absolutely delicious! We had two orders of the paella (with pork belly), stuffed mushrooms, brussel sprout salad, braised short rib, shrimp with garlic, seared octopus and moorish chicken. Everything was well-spiced but the braised short rib and the paella were my favorites.

    For dessert we tried the butterscotch pudding, caramelized bananas and chocolate truffle cake. We liked the butterscotch pudding so well, we ordered two more!

    My least favorite part of the meal was the black raspberry sangria, which was overshadowed by the meal.

    Our waiter, Josh, was very nice and a good sport about our bachelorette party.

    I'll definitely be back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/28/2012

    Dear You,

    REMEMBER THIS PATTERN: Pintxos. Paella. Seafood. Beef. Lamb.

    Pay very close attention. Take this lightly and you'll co-exist in a land of "gray" for the duration of your natural life. Follow my simple instructions and the divide between fantasy and reality will dissipate.

    Two options. Two paths. Two fates. Your choice.

    The dishes above are very important but I want you to disregard them. I need you to focus all of your brain power on the sequence of the dishes. The pattern, not the dishes, will unlock an ultimacy of culinary pleasure.

    Each dish is strategically positioned and rightfully so. Simply put, it's a "key." But any disruption in sequence will flaw the keys blades and you will lose out on the most miraculous tapas none to man, woman or child. It's very simple. REMEMBER THE PATTERN!

    Pintxos first, Paella second, Seafood third, Beef fourth and Lamb fifth.

    Sorry for screaming, but I know you. I know how you think. I know how your brain works.

    Take this "key" to the Spanish eatery on 2024 N. Halsted  and pass it  to Garundo (if you're lucky enough to have him as your waiter). You will know it's Garundo because he will introduce himself as "Garundo." Ensure Garundo has the pattern precisely.

    Pintxos, FIRST. Paella, SECOND. Seafood, THIRD. Beef, FOURTH. Lamb, FIFTH.

    When Garundo returns (if you're lucky enough to have him as your waiter) with each item one after another, your life will be changed forever.  

    Just thank me later!

    Best,

    Jason

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/30/2013

    Delicious tapas, reasonable prices, great service!

    This is my go-to tapas spot. Great for dates, groups of friends, and even families

    Try the spicy potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, any type of skewer, and paella! Bonus: Delicious sangria!

    Go with the dinner menu over the brunch menu-much tastier and exciting items

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/1/2013
    1 check-in

    I came here for dinner with a high school friend I had not seen for quite some time while I was in Chicago for work. I got there a little late but my friend had ordered a sangria and she clearly loved it since she ordered another later on during our meal.

    I had fairly high expectations for this place since I do love tapas. However, it did not fare up to my expectations. That said, it was by no means bad - it was just okay. We ordered the tapas sampler of some sort and it was decent. The other tapas dishes were mediocre and some unmemorable.

    Overall it was a decent place, but given all the options Chicago has to offer its pretty average.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/6/2014
    2 check-ins

    Our fav's of the night....Beef tenderloin with blue cheese, and the chorizo wrapped date & cheese. They were great with kids & food allergies too!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 3.0 star rating
    11/3/2012
    1 check-in

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is a festive and energetic venue to have a date night or share tapas among friends. The other night a group of ten of us got together to celebrate successfully completing marathons; while OK eight of us completed marathons - one in the group had a good excuse (she was eight and three quarter months pregnant) and one not so good (I am too lazy to train for a marathon, so settled for a half).

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba features a vast array of tapas and breaks them into categories including pintxos (bite sized tapas, kind of like a Spanish amuse bouche but harder to pronounce), vegetarian/cheese, seafood, beef/lamb, and chicken/pork. There are also a few nice paellas to choose from and housemade breads with dips (there is also complimentary basic bread service with olive oil) and of course desserts (there are full sized desserts of dessert pintxos). Sangria is quite popular here (available by the pitcher, half pitcher or glass and in traditional or flavored - there is even a Cava based Sangria); for those not fans of Sangria there is a decent list of reasonably priced Spanish wines (running as low as $28 per bottle and many selections under $50) as well as beer (including some on tap) and cocktails. Adding value there are often freebies you can redeem if you check in via Foursquare or Yelp.

    As we are distance runners, we tend to have hearty appetites and this enabled us to order a huge variety of tapas (we must have consumed nearly half the menu)! Nearly everything we tried was good, but I would not say there was a single must have dish and the menu did not seem to have changed much since I was last here a couple of years ago. Since my fine dining kick I have been on for the past year and a half I am always nervous returning to venues I used to love before becoming spoiled by Chicago's top tier restaurants, but Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba did not disappoint. For $40 a person (including tax, tip and moderate alcohol) we were able to eat like kings.

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is open nightly for dinner and also has Friday lunch and weekend brunch. They post special events on their website such as a Flamenco Dinner Show with music and dancing and Paella Cooking Demos. The atmosphere is lively and casual and the decor is made to transport you to Spain without being tacky or overdone. Service is reasonably attentive and adequate.  Ba-Ba-Reeba is a popular venue so it can be a bit noisy and reservations are recommended (they are on Open Table). There is a large bar where you can enjoy a glass of Sangria as you wait for your party to arrive, but I did appreciate that they sat us before our entire party arrived. The menu has a nice variety of food to choose from (even the vegetarians in our group found plenty to keep them happy) and while the food is certainly not outstanding, for the money it is a good choice if you are in the mood for Spanish tapas.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/1/2012

    So I went here two nights ago. I had lower expectations after seeing the price description and the word "cafe" in the name...You get what you pay for kind of mentality. It is very casual atmosphere, but the food is AMAZING.

    I went here on a first date, and we ordered a pitcher of the passion fruit sangrias. He had been there about 4 times, and being new to the area, I gave minimal input. They have something for everyone so you really can't go wrong. Everything we ordered was delicious, from the spicy potatoes, to the bacon wrapped dates, and the deviled egg (which you must get even if you don't like eggs, TRUST me on this one because anything with bacon on it has to be good) it was delicious.

    Normally I like to wait until at least the fifth date, but this guy got to see my "O face"  as soon as the blue cheese tenderloin hit my tongue. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God was it so good!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/26/2013
    1 check-in

    Lets just say that next time I'm in Chicago I'm scheduling another reservation here. The food is amazing, the servers are knowledgable about their wine, and the sangria will knock you on your ass. We started with the stuffed mushrooms, goat cheese with tomato sauce and the beef empanada. The goat cheese with tomato sauce was probably my favorite; unexpected flavors that went so well together, and I ended up eating the last few bites with a spoon sans bread.
    We had the Paleo for our entree and immediately wished we had 2 more people to join our date. Fair warning: it says the Paleo feeds two, but it feeds closer to 3 or 4. If you want to try a lot of different tapas, SKIP the Paleo.

    Make sure you use your free desert with a Yelp check-in!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/25/2013

    How amazing is it go back to a place after six years and find that its not as good as you remembered--it's better.

    I won't write a long review on this as it really speaks for itself with the amount of reviews already written.  All I will say is go here---get the sangria and some spicy potatoes, stay awhile.  Everything is delicious!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/15/2014

    Hosted my sister's bridal shower here on July 12 and it was fantastic!!  Alison was excellent to work with through the entire planning process, very professional, prompt and excellent communicator.  My sister has gluten and cow's dairy dietary restrictions, and Alison checked everything on the menu to make sure the dietary needs were met.  They even had gluten-free bread to go with some of the dishes.  Josh was our server at the event and was fabulous!  He made sure everything went smoothly, it was so stress free and perfectly timed.  All of the food was delicious and the only reason there were leftovers is because there was just so much!  I have always loved Cafe Ba-ba-reeba for a fun dinner out, and now it will be top of my list for any event I need to host.  Such a great day!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/2/2012
    1 check-in

    I doubt that this place needs yet another review, but after going here twice, it has quickly become my favorite restaurant in Chicago.  I love that the best tapas in Chicago are 3 blocks from my apartment!

    The first time I came here, I was nostalgic for the semester that I studied abroad in Barcelona and stuck with the patatas bravas and pan con tomate.  I also had the date pintxo.  Everything was so authentic and amazing.  

    When my mom came to visit a few weeks ago, this was the fist place I took her too.  My boyfriend, mom, and I had reservations for 8pm on Friday.  After waiting for 25 minutes past our reservation, I was becoming nervous that they weren't going to love the restaurant as much as I do.  The service quickly dashed these fears as we were seated and comped our first round of drinks.  The manager personally delivered the drinks with an apology which made up for the extra wait.  Plus, the sangria is awesome.  I had the salmon that came with cucumber, crema, and toast which quickly became my favorite thing on the menu.   I also had the pintxos platter (yes, I was stuffed)  and the goat cheese croqueta and tuna pintxos were awesome.  We were all stuffed ... and then our waitress brought us a free dessert tray as an additional apology for the wait.  Awesome.

    I could probably write another 10 chapters about how much I love this place, but I'm just making myself hungry.  In a nutshell - best Spanish food in Chicago!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/27/2012

    In the words of yelp "I'm a fan." I dined here last night with a group of four and it was a good experience overall. The menu is easy to navigate for first time guests, with options for those who want to play it safe as well as those with a more adventurous palate.  Over all the food was pretty good and the service was okay.

    Must try: BLACKBERRY SANGRIA, garlic shrimp, beef tenderloin, pork ribs, cheese platter

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/25/2012

    I lived in Lincoln Park for two years and somehow never made it to this restaurant. I went with two friends a few weeks ago and loved every minute of my experience. We had a reservation for 7:30 on a Saturday night. We got there a few minutes early and the wait staff seated us promptly. It is wise to make a reservation,as this restaurant was still on a wait at 9:00 pm when we finished up dinner. We were seated right away.

    I loved the idea of tapas as the three of us could share smaller plates and try a variety of different dishes. We started off with the Peach Sangria which was amazing. All of the dishes that we did try were full of flavor. The patatas bravas are a must try when dining here. We also had dates wrapped in bacon, sweet potatoes which I am not a fan of to begin with and ended up loving. We also got a goat cheese with marinara sauce that was served with garlic bread. We ended up ordering the seafood Paella, which was enough to make us full at the end of the night. You should order this ahead of time as it does take 30 minutes to make.

    The waitstaff was prompt, the food did not take long to get, and the bus boys made sure  your plates were taken away when you were done and you had new plates at your table. I am truly disappointed that I have not been here before hand, but will be visiting again in the near future!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/23/2014

    Tapas tapas and tapas!! I love  this place bacon wrapped dates! Empanadas goat cheese & sangria! Ive been here plenty of times. Either for a sit down for two or quick bite to eat at the bar or make it a family affair for a table of 6 or more. Good staff. Always call for a reservation. Summer or winter your taste buds will be satisfied :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/2/2014

    I came here on a date for restaurant week. The tapas were all consistently delicious, the cava sangria was excellent and not too sweet, and the bacon-wrapped dates blew my mind. The atmosphere is energetic and fun but still elegant, so this restaurant could work for a romantic date, a big party of friends, or a family dinner with kids.

    Recommended dishes:
    --bacon-wrapped dates (incredible!)
    --braised shortrib in piquillo pepper pinxto  
    --lamb kebabs
    --grilled octopus

    Less-recommended (but still good) dishes:
    --the seafood paella was delicious (also the portion was HUGE, an entire pan of paella for two people), but it did not have a crispy crust (socarrat). Paella purists will be disappointed.
    --the desserts were tasty but not at all memorable; not really worth ordering in place of an extra tapa.

    NOTE ON RESTAURANT WEEK MENU: the restaurant week special does NOT include the jamon iberico, the most expensive tapa on the menu, which was disappointing. Overall we didn't really save any money with the prix-fixe, but I'm still glad we came.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/6/2013

    Absolutely divine.

    I don't have much to write at all because everything was delicious.  Great atmosphere, awesome server, delicious sangria, and fabulous food.  I was in a group of four so we tried tons of dishes and we loved every singe one.
    My table's favorite - the octopus!  It was two of our first time trying it and we ended up ordering another dish of it because it was so yummy!

    I cannot wait to go back and try the dishes I didn't this time!  Bravo, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/5/2013

    Had so  much fun here! My cousins and I came to cafe ba-ba-reeba on a chilly Sunday evening right after St. Patty's Day. I think people were still recovering from the night before. There was a wait time of abt 45minutes and we were all hungry. We got lucky because there was room at the bar!

    Ambiance is good fun and creates discussion.

    My recommendations: Stuffed mushrooms

    These were to die for. I would've eaten three plates myself.

    GO. Definitely GO. Also, their sangria was delicious.

  • 1.0 star rating
    1/24/2013

    My party of 7 went for brunch, so maybe that's the reason this place didn't live up to the 1300+ other reviews.
    The service was horrendous. Everyone got their food at different times - there was at least a 10 minute lapse between the first dish that was dropped off and the last. The servers continuously dropped food off at one end of the table and expected us to pass the plates around - they had no interest and giving the correct person their plate. They wouldn't even announce the dishes, so we had to try and figure out each dish. They seemed completely oblivious to the concept of good service. And the biggest annoyance was that the place was not extremely crowded. There were at least 15 open tables around us, so I'm not sure why service was bad when it wasn't busy .

    In terms of food - I don't think you can call something "Bacon Mac & Cheese" when it's just a plate of mac & cheese with a slice of bacon on top. Also, is the brick egg supposed to come with a raw egg? When my friend cut through the fried outer layer of his dish, the entire egg was runny, from the whites to the yolk. It was disgusting. And the waiter, while polite and gracious in getting my friend's replacement order, never apologized for an obviously undercooked dish - he seemed to brush it off as typical. My dish (chorizo, manchego, and vegetable omelet) was good enough though. The waffle-battered chicken stick was not impressive - it looked and tasted like a stunted corndog. I would save my $2 for another novelty. My friends who'd been here for dinner couldn't even remembered they'd been here before, and once they did recall that meal, they shook their heads and said we should have picked another restaurant.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/23/2013
    1 check-in

    Liked this better than Iberico. Food was tastier. Tried an assortment of tapas, including the baked goat cheese in tomato sauce, empanadas, salmon, and potatoes, and also a paella. Everything was delicious. Potatoes were pretty standard though. Pretty good service. It is somewhat pricey though, but many tapas places are.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/3/2012
    1 check-in

    Made a reservation and went in for a late supper. The exterior was very welcoming to me when I saw the sign that said BAR. When you enter the doorway, there is a little corridor prior to arriving at the front desk, and I think this was the waiting area for people without reservations. Arrived a little early, so the hostess advised us to wait at the bar. The wait was at most 5 minutes, and we were directed to our table. The stroll to our table made us realize how big this establishment was.

    We sat down and the waitress went over the menu, and pointed out a few tips (like recommending 2~3 plates per person). But we had already reviewed the posted pix on Yelp, so we were already set on ordering several items.

    The house Sangria for the night was a pomegranate sangria, so we ordered the pitcher. The sangria was delicious, and went down like having a refreshing fruit punch.

    Plano platter
    Salmon cream cheese sauce with cucumber. Generous portions.
    Octopus. Nice sautéed in olive oil
    Short ribs. Excellent mashed potatoes
    Skewers. Very nice horseradish sauce.
    Sausages. Four kinds of yum mines.
    Paella. Chicken was done just right.
    Empanadas. Homemade taste. Side of tomato aioli mayo.

    Tips for Yelpers with mobile apps: check into this place for a free dessert!

    For dessert, we tried the chocolate truffle cake, and the profitteroles.

    It's a little ways from downtown Chicago, but with a cts metro pass, the trip was not bad.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/18/2014

    This place is great.  We came here on a Saturday afternoon after playing tennis in Oz Park and were able to snag a table on the patio.  The food was delicious and well-priced.  The service was excellent.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/23/2011

    I have to start off by citing that my curry chicken essentially had no curry - but the flavor was otherwise quite interesting.

    The staff is friendly as could be expected and they accomodated a toddler quite well.

    Things I liked; the meatballs were high quality, the spicy potatoes were also really high quality.

    Things that fell short: The lamb "kebobs" are made from lower quality ground meat slapped onto a toothpick - not exactly kebob or tapas-esque so I was very disappointed.

    Combined the experience was neither here nor there.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/18/2014

    This is a super happening place that delivered on fun environment, great food and terrific service. We had Marilyn as our server and she was a delight, especially as she coached us through the extensive menu since we were newbies. We will be back for sure. Loved all of the tapas we tried...don't miss the goat cheese in tomato sauce, the olives, the steak with blue cheese...oh and the empanadas. I mean, the whole experience was terrific. We will be back again - we are out of towners who visit our son at school.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/8/2014

    Had done reservations through Yelp and it was great not have to wait for a table. They have Sangria on tap! The sangrias were great - get a pitcher - it is good value and you know you are going to finish it :). If you are a veggie lover, try the Brussels sprout salad. Bread is good and fun atmosphere. Highly recommended!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/24/2014
    1 check-in

    I went for a birthday dinner thing, it was good, the drinks were good, I loved it :) Highly recommend the whiskey ginger drink thing. I can't remember the name, but it was delicioussss

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/16/2014

    I would give this place 5 stars if I didn't have to listed to Lincoln Park trixies blare their first world self-involved problems for the entire duration of my meal.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/17/2013

    I'd give it 3.5 if I could. I decided to be generous and round up.

    I've been here twice now. If this review was written based on only the first experience, this would have been a 5 star review.

    The first was for dinner with a couple girls. We shared some tapas, which were ALL delicious, I loved everything I tried. My sangria was great, the ambiance was ace, server was nice and knowledgeable, etc.

    Second was for lunch. We were seated in a different area I was in the first time, close to the kitchen, and that was quite dreadful. People were constantly shuffling past us, and the food wasn't quite as good as it was the first time. Some of it was a bit too cold, some of it was so hot I thought they'd stuck it in the microwave for ten minutes.

    I definitely recommend this place for an evening visit. Not quite as pleasant during daytime.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/22/2012 Updated review
    1 check-in

    I came here again to celebrate getting a job and I just have to say HOLY PATATAS BRAVAS!!!! They were so good that we ordered them twice. The caracoles and short ribs and mashed potatoes were still magically delicious. This time I had the foresight to look up coupons and found a text club I could sign up for, which scored me a free dessert, the caramel dulce de leche. I inhaled that deliciousness.

    One thing I will note is that some people were a little disappointed by the octopus de la plancha, saying that the cafe iberico version was better. I will say that it is a different interpretation and a very solid dish so if you like the dish, don't be shy and go order it.

    5.0 star rating
    10/18/2012 Previous review
    While my parents were in town, we went here for supper (lunch/dinner) to continue to celebrate my… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    8/11/2014

    Everything was amazing! Fun atmosphere, AMAZING food and delicious sangria!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/3/2014

    I love this place - one of the only accurate Spanish restaurants I have ever eaten at in the United States. Every time I come here I feel like for a brief period I am in Madrid again! Order a bunch of raciones plates (make sure the Jamon Iberico and Calamari are included!) and share with a few friends.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/11/2015

    above average spanish tapas. the stuffed mushrooms, paella, and chorizo are delicious.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/21/2014
    1 check-in

    Seriously AMAZING. We got the goat cheese, the brussel sprout salad, the fried calamari, some kind of spicy roasted potatoes, and the mango sangria, as well as the red wine sangria. everything was phenomenal! i cannot wait to go back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/31/2012
    1 check-in

    Great place with many offerings!!  I wish i lived in CHI town as i would visit often.  Kinda expensive, but worth the price!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/6/2013

    Sangria. Tapas. Paella. Overall, everything is AMAZING.

    It's a bit pricey, but worth it if you enjoy a great dining experience. Plan ahead, because on weekends you could be in for a wait!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/6/2013

    Love this place! Perfectly located in Lincoln park. Great for groups or even for a date. The food is always amazing and the sangria is perfect, don't skip it!

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/23/2013

    Great atmosphere, good food. Some signature tapas dishes, like the pulpo, were way over salted.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/11/2013
    1 check-in

    This was a great Tapas restaurant. Bacon wrapped dates are delicious and the seafood paella was amazing. Will be back
    A little pricey but the food makes up for it by far! Glad to have Chris as our waiter. We were celebrating a birthday and he made every effort to make sure we were enjoying our visit. WILL BE BACK!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/17/2012
    1 check-in

    Yum! We were visiting from Detroit and had a very nice dinner here. The waiter was excellent, and we had fun trying the different dishes. We also got a free mini dessert for checking in with Yelp. We loved the deviled eggs and Sangria!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/4/2014
    1 check-in

    Went here after my fiancée proposed to me. Really can it get any better? Food was great, wine was great! I can't wait to go back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/19/2013

    This was my first time at Ba-Ba-Rebba and it will NOT be my last! I had heard from a lot of people that this was an excellent restaurant but I honestly didn't think that it would be this good. My two friends and I got two platters, 6 tapas, sangria, beer, the works. From the moment I walked in the door and was greeted until the time I left was an awesome experience. Our server was Russ and he made great recommendations from the menu from drinks, food and dessert. One of the nicest servers I've ever had. All the food we had was good so I'm sure that no matter what you get it will be amazing. Can't wait to come back here again. This is literally one of my top 5 new favorite restaurants!

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/13/2011

    This is the second best tapas restaurant I've been to in my life.
    Just try everything - its cheap, so come back many times and get everything.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/14/2013
    3 check-ins

    The seafood paella here was fantastic! We came out here on a whim, ordered very simply- marinated olives, endive salad, passion sangria and the seafood paella, and let me tell you- so on point.

    There was a 45 min wait for a table but we were offered to sit at the bar immediately. We couldn't find any spots, so a waiter told us we could sit at any table on that side. We sat, we ordered and were quickly given our drinks and apps. The paella took about 35 min but was so divine. The shrimp and scallops were perfectly cooked, neither over nor underdone, the rice, perfectly moist and tender and the presentation wonderful! I would have loved to have had lemon wedges on the side though, and maybe some peas cooked in- but that's just my personal preference.

    I will absolutely be back.

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/28/2014

    I really used to love this place but the last couple of times I've been here I've been disappointed. I brought my Dad here last night and we sat at the bar because the hostess said it would be 45mins to an hour for a table for 2.. Whatever. Although we were a bit crammed at the bar we stayed optimistic as I scanned the menu and I ordered the blueberry cocktail. My dad got a glass of wine and he put in our first dish- Spiced lamb kabobs. Then I tried to order my all time favorite Sweet Potato Fries but they took them off the menu. Why??? :( So instead I got the spicy potatoes with dipping sauce- Def not as good. The last dish we got was the seared octopus and that was the only thing that was halfway decent. Probably won't be back for a while... Bummed out.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/27/2014

    I love this place!  Whenever I have a few days in Chicago I always try and arrange a visit to this restaurant.  You can be dressed in a suit or in jeans, it doesn't matter.  All are welcome and comfortable at this melting pot environment. Tapas choices are many and the food is excellent.  Prices are reasonable and even though they are "small plates" I always leave here feeling stuffed!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/7/2011
    Listed in Date Night

    Made a reservation for 8:30 and the restaurant was extremely packed when we arrived; however, we only waited five minutes before our table was ready. Our waitress was extremely attentive and helpful as we looked over the menu. As I was dining with a very hungry man, we  (really, he) ended up ordering A LOT. Truthfully, the only disappointment was the pomegranate sangria. It was light in color, which I don't normally associate with pomegranate) and watered-down by all of the ice. We ended up having their orange mojito later which was pretty delicious.

    Our favorite dishes (just about everything we ordered) included the shrimp with garlic (#1), spicy potatoes, bacon wrapped dates, beef tenderloin with blue cheese and goat cheese with marinara. We also had the chicken empanada which was pretty good, the sauce on the side was great. We had a small serving of the chicken/pork/artichoke paella and could have done without it, it basically acted as a filler dish. I would have loved to try a dessert but could barely move after everything else! Really fantastic dinner and dining experience in general.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    3/11/2013

    God, everything here is so, so, so good! This is my favorite tapas place in Chicago.

    TRY: EVERYTHING. (Just kidding.) (Not really.) Meatballs, garlic potato salad, potato and onion omelette, beef empanada, chicken & ham croquetas, any of the paellas.

    Like I said, just eat all of it. And the sangria. Bless the sangria.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/30/2011

    6 of us went last night and we had a great time. We ordered a bunch of plates and pretty much shared them all. My favorites of the evening were the Grilled octopus and the bacon wrapped dates. Other than that, everything else was pretty standard fare. You can order sangria by the pitcher (the white is fab) as well as an assortment of spanish wines. It was definitely fun and lively on a Tuesday night.

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is obviously one of the better known Tapas places in the city and its definitely worth checking out. On a Friday and Saturday night the place is usually packed and they are now taking reservations (not sure when that changed). If you're in the 'hood definitely stop in, its a great spot to share a few plates...

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/1/2011

    I have eaten here once before and the food did not disappoint again. The one thing that detracts from the place is the fact that it is during the weekends the wait is ridiculous. I did happen to go on a Saturday night, but I definitely was doing an early bird dinner.

    I enjoyed the passion fruit sangria that we had. The chorizo wrapped dates were delicious. Definitely had luck with their special which was a ribeye. The meat was tender and juicy. The empanada was just okay, but it was flaky which I liked the beef was a little bland. I do like the tapas options overall and it allows you to try different things.

  • 2.0 star rating
    9/1/2013

    First experience here for myself... my date had been there years ago when they still had a large outdoor seating area.  Went Thursday eve around 8pm... busy of course... young crowd overall and very noisy.  After it all was said and done our 1st word was "Bland" amazingly bland food :(  The best item we had that gave us that savory/sweet burst of flavor was the #67 Roast Dates w/bacon & apple vinaigrette $6.  
    Bland items were:  

    #42 Grilled Squid w/olive oil & garlic $7 = rubbery squid coated with bland olive oil on a bed of saturated arugula I think.
    #68 Brazed Pork Belly fabada w/white beans & chorizo broth $8 = lots of fat, minimal meat and no flavor ....this reminded me of my mothers homemade navy bean and bacon soup ...watery bland flubbery :(
    #28 Grilled Asparagus, fried egg, romescu sauce $7 = I am guessing the asparagus was tossed on the grill dry and grilled to dryness & woody.  The egg was just done, very loose (which it's supposed to be so you can mix it up) but again it seemed covered in bland olive oil. The sauce had a reddish/orange color and no flavor.  
    #23 Brussel Sprout salad w/marcona almonds, manchego cheese $6 = sighhhhh...did I mention bland? Just tasted like a passing dish at a family picnic.  
    #29 Warm Potato & onion omelette $6 = hint hint hint of onion flavor.  This was moist yet bland.
    #51 Rioja Brazed Short Ribs, manchego mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables $10 = this description is deceiving....the potatoes were not mashed... we received a spoon of runny whipped potatoes, 1 short rib and a slurry of veg puree.  The meat was a bit tough/chewy and all of it was bland.  

    Dessert = Berries and cream Sorbet $3 = tiny tiny tiny dish with a large mint leaf covering everything.  Rubbery blueberries, bland sorbet & crystallized sugar on top.  On the upside there were 2 fresh raspberries ;)

    The 2 bottles of white wine & dates were the best ;)  Luckily we had gift certificates.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/20/2013

    I had 2 of my best friends come in town this past weekend and wanted something laid back with yummy food! This was the best choice for sure! They were still talking about it the next morning.

    There were 4 of us so we got a few different kinds of sangria. We got the white peach, regular red and blackberry. The blackberry was a little sweet for us but that didn't stop us from finishing all 3 half pitchers! And I like that you can get half pitchers to try different flavors. They even have seasonal flavors which I think is really cool.

    Now for the delicious food..
    We each got a chorizo-wrapped date that is a MUST get! So so good.
    We then went onto the artisanal cheese plate. It was good cheese and they this really yummy grapefruit marmalade. I don't like anything grapefruit but this was tasty!
    Next was fried calamari, YUMMY! I thought the breading on this was really good!! Another great seafood dish was the garlic/red-pepper shrimp, HOLY COW yummy!!!
    Short ribs and mashed potatoes, I'd get these just for the mashed potatoes! The short rib was good but nothing I just had to have again. And my least favorite thing we ordered were the chicken & ham croquetas. There was nothing special about them. They looked frozen and not fresh like everything else that came out. My friend really enjoyed them though.

    Needless to say, this will not be my last time going here. Considering the only reservation they had was for 630pm a week-and-half in advance tells me I'm not the only one who loves this place!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/25/2011

    The service on the night before Thanksgiving can be tricky, it is a busy Wednesday. However, we had an excellent server, who was quite attentive in delivering our food.
    The food itself was quite well prepared- there is a 6 item sampler at the top which was excellent little bites. The short-rib was very tender, with tangy potatoes. The notable exception if the famed shrimp (#44)- they've been seasoned to death. The volume needs to be no higher than 10 (shrimp mass) to 1 (seasoning mass), and this had been exceeded quite clearly.
    The Carmel desert bit was a superb treat.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/1/2013
    1 check-in

    What I'm basing this review on:
    Lamb kebab
    Spicy potatoes
    Bread spreads
    Cured meats platter
    Bacon wrapped dates
    Chicken paella

    I'm by nature skeptical of tapas places. With smaller portions sizes and high prices, it takes a lot more flavor wowness to deliver overall value. This place had some great dishes but just didn't quite get to 4 star status.

    Lamb kebab- pretty good. Doesn't really stand out really from a standard seasoned meat dish. I didn't find myself reaching for a second one after the first.

    Spicy potatoes- These definitely had the "oh wow" factor. These taste so so good and have a strong kick that surprises you in the end. Definitely getting this again.

    Bread spreads: Yea, good. Not amazing. But good. That pretty much sums it up.

    Cured meats platter (called something else)- I really like this. The prosciutto and the salami were great. There was just enough for everyone to get a slice of something at our table, I wish we had ordered a second one.

    Bacon wrapped dates- There are a lot of very favorable reviews for these and the waiter enthusiastically recommended it. It was ok but I think I just need to admit to myself I'm not a fan of dates. I've tried several supposedly amazing date dishes at several restaurants but never really enjoyed any of them. If you like dates, maybe this dish is good. If not, this dish won't change your mind.

    Chicken paella- Again, good. Nothing special.

    Overall it was a good meal with good sangria. While some of the dishes were definitely 4-5 star value quality, there wasn't enough to justify an overall 4 star rating. Will be back to this place to try other menu items.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/14/2013

    Always liked this restaurant.  It's not the best food ever, but rarely have I ever had anything bad there.  Most of it is above average to very good tapas, and one of the better all-around tapas places I've tried in the city.

    I hadn't been there for 2-3 years, but just went back this past weekend and had a good time.  We had a ton of good and decent amount to drink and only spent about $50 a person.  It's a little hectic/busy/crowded, but sometimes that's the price you pay for a restaurant that is doing most things right.

    Great for groups and a solid choice for a while now.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/28/2013
    1 check-in

    Mindblowingly delicious!!  We got 6 tapas:  short rib, shrimp, squid, bacon dates, potato, salumi, and seafood paella.  We stuffed ourselves like  3 silly little pigs.  So content and satisfying to be able to enjoy a meal like this.  We also drank passion fruit sangria and the Spanish beer.  Desert tapas are must have.  We tried butterscotch, coco flan, and apple empanadas.  Super super good too even when we were so full.  After this meal we rewarded ourselves with a nice scenic walk to the navy pier and took in the Chicago skyline.  What a special treat for our trip!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/28/2013

    A very busy spot, but great for groups of people. High energy, busy, and a fabulous patio in the summer. On weekends it can be tough to get a table on the fly - I'd recommend a reservation. Seating in the bar area is first come, first served, so that's an option.

    Their sangria is delicious. The tapas is awesome. The spicy potatoes are a favorite, along with the beef tenderloin & blue cheese, ahi tuna, short ribs, empanadas, apple/spinach salad, and fried green peppers. I do occasionally wish there were more vegetables involved, but I'm not really complaining.

    I've gone here with as many as seven other people, and have never paid more than about $35 each and always felt very satisfied. Highly recommend it whether you've got guests in town, or you're a Chicagoan who just likes good tapas.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/10/2011

    The most recent time I went here was for brunch.  Brunch is my favorite meal, so I was very happy they had brunch at a tapas place (I used to live in Spain...there is no brunch in Spain, never mind real breakfast!).

    There was a wedding reception going on out on the patio, which was a bit strange considering it was around noon, but oh well.  

    As for the food, they had a small but good selection of brunch items, along with brunch-food-themed tapas and pintxos.  Very clever.  The very best part of their brunch, however, is the Bloody Mary Bar!  I was kind of blown away, they have so many options, from 3 different kinds of base (gazpacho, tomato juice, and firecracker sauce), to mozzarella and salami on a stick as garnish, to 5 different kinds of hot sauce.  I can't wait to go back for brunch.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/6/2013
    1 check-in

    It was just okay...
    We went on a Sunday night and we thought everything was mediocre. Nothing wowed us and the service was lacking. We felt that the bus boy did more work than our waitress. We ordered our food in 3 different waves and we saw her a total of 4 times (the last time she brought us our check).  She never checked in on us or asked how was the food and everytime we needed something, she was nowhere to be found! Instead, we had to the ask the busboy for more bread and more sauce to go with our potatoes.

    My date and I ordered:
    Fried Peppers- very ordinary, the peppers were not spicy and they were a bit oily.

    Goat Cheese Spread with Pistachios and Mint- highlight or our meal. The spread was sweet and savory at the same time. Be sure to ask for extra bread!

    Braised Short Ribs- meh, we were expecting more flavor.

    Ahi Tuna- three tiny pieces of tuna that lacked salt. It was our least favorite dish of the night.

    Meatballs- The texture was really off!  They were mealy, not what meatballs are supposed to be like.

    Stuffed Mushrooms- It was fine.  

    Bacon Wrapped Dates- good balance between salty and sweet and a hint of acidity with the cider vinegar.

    Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Aoili- How can you go wrong with fried potatoes?  

    Coconut Flan- perfectly sweet with a hint of coconut

    Butterscotch Custard Cream- Really rich!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/15/2014

    Had dinner with a local and an out of towner. Always busy so make reservations but once you sit down prepare for some fun. Drinks, especially house sangria's are great and refreshing. Food is strong and a good showing of the Spanish culture. Great for conversation and a non rushed experience.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/15/2014

    Consistently great- Our favorite date night location. Always able to mix and match tapas to match our mood and different specialty dishes. Sangria is a must and service is always prompt and friendly!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/11/2011

    Came here with a Barcelona native, so it must be good, right? We had the goat cheese that everyone raves about, as well as the stuffed mushrooms. I can vouch that the goat cheese is indeed delicious, but the mushrooms were just so-so. Sangria was standard. I gave this place 4 stars though for its ambiance (romantic, carefree, relaxed) and its service (very friendly waiter who consistently checked in with us and refilled our sangria). Definitely a great first date spot.

    And per the Barcelona native, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and Cafe Iberico have the best tapas. :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/20/2012
    1 check-in

    I've heard about this place and passed it on many different occasions but never had a reason to really go BUT I just had my chance a couple weeks ago while having a mother daughter weekend with my mom and a close friend from home and her mom.  We tried many different things on the menu and they were all very flavorful.  My favorite... the paella of course.  I don't know why, but every time I go to any Spanish restaurant I must try the paella.  One day I'm just going to make it for myself, but until then... I will go back to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for that dish alone.  

    I highly recommend getting a reservation and if you can go on a weekday when it's not as crowded.  This place is big, don't be deceived by the exterior... but still, space is limited for larger parties.  

    As a final note... if you didn't know already from my review... I highly recommend the paella :P

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/23/2012

    When there are PLENTY of other places to go for tapas nowadays, why anyone would go to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is beyond me. Off the top of my head in order of awesomeness: Emilio's, Cafe Iberico and LaTasca are way way better than this place.

    The waitperson had no affect whatsoever - barely friendly.

    Our stuffed mushroom tapas was STONE COLD when we got it and we sent it back. She provided no apology and didn't know what to do with our mushrooms that we had already cut into. She stared at the plate of mushrooms like they were alive and said, "Ohmigod, that's so weird!" It's not weird, Honey; we ordered it 1/2 hour ago and it's been sitting up at the pass waiting for someone to bring it to us. Hot food eventually gets cold.

    The food runners were rude, just dropping plates off and disappearing, leaving dirty dishes on the table and unable or unwilling to answer simple questions "Which tapas is this?" and "Can you please tell me where the rest room is located?"

    The tapas themselves (when they were temperature appropriate) were good (that's why they are getting 2 stars and not 1) but not spectacular. The other reason for the 2nd star was that they had their menu sectioned off by type of meat (fish, pork, vegetable/cheese, etc) and THAT is a good idea.  However, it would have helped if we knew what was supposed to be cold and what was supposed to be hot.

    The waitperson acted like their olive tapenade was some exotic dish just brought to Lincoln Park last week from far off lands ("Have you ever had this before?" the waitress says, Yes, Sweetheart, Trader Joes has the exact same thing except twice as much for half the price). She couldn't even tell us what olives were used in the making of it...yes, usually it's Kalamata but she acted like it was "ohmigod so weird" that I started thinking maybe it was some olive I've never heard of.

    The food, in general was overpriced and super small portions, even for tapas.  Again, you get more for your money and less attitude at any of the three tapas restaurants I first mentioned above. (and yes, I know Emilio's started off at Cafe BaBaReeba - thank goodness he left and opened his own place!)

    Clearly - we won't be back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/13/2012
    1 check-in

    This place was very nice inside and the food was AMAZING

    Drinks were delicious

    Service is quick and wait was not bad at all, Great experience, THANKS!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/22/2014

    Wonderful Spanish food! Prices are very reasonable. Great place to go with a large group. Service was good, not great. Red raspberry sangria is a must!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/11/2012
    1 check-in

    I have been to this restaurant a dozen times - the food has been consistently good every time.  We always order our favorite stand bys: the spicy potatoes, bacon wrapped dates, goat cheese and marinara and red sangria.  Then we try to mix it up with a few other dishes.  This last time we tried the deviled eggs (good), cheese plate (very good), garlic shrimp (excellent), and some others I'm failing to remember.

    Great for big groups, though it is quite loud.  Service was a bit slow, but the restaurant was very crowded and we were with a bunch of friends so we didn't care.  Very reasonable prices.  Each couple paid ~$50-60, drinks included.  Make sure you make a reservation well in advance.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/2/2013
    1 check-in

    Good food, good service, but not as cracked up as everyone makes it out to be, and the tapas can add up pretty quick. Definitely a fun meal with friends, but temper expectations a bit.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/7/2013
    1 check-in

    If authentic is what you seek, this is it. The tortilla, aioli, jamon Iberico, gilled octopus and flan were as Spanish as it gets. The presentation was very good, and the service was as well. The waiter was particularly helpful with tapas descriptions. Lived in Barcelona and am familiar with the foods. Ole!

  • 1.0 star rating
    6/1/2014

    As frequent guests and Gold LEY members for several years, my wife and I are extremely disappointed with our experience last night. We arrived approximately 10 minutes early and after checking in we were told it would be about a 20-30 minute wait. This is despite no less than 20 available tables on the patio.  Frustrated we decide to leave and try somewhere else. The manager called to inquire why we left. He claimed the hostess said they were having a table cleaned immediately for us and that because we showed up early they could not seat us. I inquired why this mattered given the abundance of tables currently available. He did not have a good answer and insisted our expectations were off because of our early arrival. Unacceptable!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/29/2012

    Food is superb. I've tried about 50% of the menu, and EVERYTHING was amazing.

    Life changers: beef tenderloin and blue cheese, spicy potatoes with tomato aioli, and chorizo wrapped medjool dates

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/10/2013
    1 check-in

    Well I it has been awhile since I wrote on this things...

    Restaurant Week finally arrived in Chicago this year!!!

    My other fellow foodie boyfriend went with me on a one fine night for a dinner. I've been really wanting to try this place for awhile, and was glad that they participate during restaurant week. We had a four course meal and it was amazing!

    here's the breakdown

    first course: pintxos :
    Goat Cheese Croqueta
    Deviled Egg, Bacon & Mustard

    Both were soo delicious, kind of sucked that it was only a one biter. The goat cheese croqueta had an interesting taste for me at first when I first bit into it, but after a few seconds, that when the party officially begins. Deviled egg was standard but with a little bit of spices into it.

    second course: tapas
    Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Alioli, Rioja-Braised Short Ribs, Mashed Potatoes, Serrano Ham, Salchichon, Chorizo & Manchego, Roast Dates
    With bacon & apple vinaigrette.

    All were spectacular, but I would have the spicy potatoes and roast dates with bacon & apple again and again.

    third course: paella
    We both had Shrimp, Sea Scallops, and Green Beans.
    It was a huge portion, If I was going to try their paella again, I think 1 would be best for 2 people. It was  soo good, I just wish they would get a bigger kind of scallop in it, but it was still good nevertheless.

    fourth course:
    Gala apple empanada and caramelized banana

    boyfriend tried the empanada and had a little bit of it, I love the dipping sauce it come with. It spark a debacle with my bf and I about evaporated milk and condensed milk.lol. I had the caramelized banana, and it just melted perfectly in my mouth with all the elements it came with.

    I cannot wait to come back to this place, and would love to at least try all their items once.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/21/2012
    1 check-in

    This place has pretty tasty items on the menu. If I had the stomach for it I would probably try one of everything in one night!  Our waiter was awesome about answering our questions about some of the menu items.  We thought about ordering the paella but made the mistake of eating A LOT of bread with each of our tapas choices.  We ordered [I'm going to put the separate dishes in parentheses since it usually just lists the ingredients] the (wood roasted peppers, eggplant, and tomato), the calamari, the (goat cheese, pistachio, mint and nispera preserves), the (niçoise coquillo olive tapenade), the (fried green peppers and coarse salt), and the (shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes).  

    The shrimp was too garlicky but good. Calamari was on point.  My favorites were the roasted pepper and the olive dishes.  I would definitely recommend the last three dishes!

  • 2.0 star rating
    9/21/2012

    OH, NO!!!!!! The long-time chef of Cafe BBR left recently and the food is just not the same! I have been a customer of CBBR for years, however it had been about a year since I had been. My husband and I recently stopped in to grab some lunch, and I immediately noticed something drastically changed when I tasted the food. I asked the server why the food tasted different, and she confirmed that there was a new chef.

    I found the food to be way too mayonnaise-y, greasy and lacking in flavor. This is what we had:

    --- Chicken curry salad: way too much mayo and not enough curry.
    --- Warm potato and onion omelet: This is served warm and used to be served cold. It is now way too oily.
    --- Spinach stuffed mushrooms: These were still very good.
    --- Mushroom and rice croquesta: Meh. Nothing to it.
    --- Goat cheese baked in tomato sauce: This used to be my favorite. There was so much grease swimming in this dish, I couldn't eat much of it.

    Their Sangria still remains to be awesome. And, service is was great. But, I definitely won't be going back for food, at least not for a long time.

    Super bummed!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/8/2014
    1 check-in

    I've been here like 10 times and it's always excellent. I love the chorizo wrapped dates.  I've probably had close to the whole menu at this point and everything is very good. There's a good happy hour from 4-6pm also. Make a reservation for weekends. Also - sangria pitchers!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/30/2011

    This is one of my absolute favorites here in Chicago so far. Maybe it's because I lived in Spain for a while, but it was like having a taste of "home" and a trip abroad at the same time.

    The food was great - some of our favorites were the stuffed mushrooms and the patatas bravas (spicy potatoes) but we also loved the pintxos, specifically the wrapped date and the goat cheese croqueta. I didn't have it, but my girlfriends loved their mango sangria. I liked that it was true to the Spanish style in the sense that the food came out when it was ready, not all at once.

    My only complaint is that the tables are so close that it gets loud really easily and it's a little bit difficult to get up and go to the restroom or leave. But that doesn't change my opinion about it as a whole and doesn't change the fact that I will go back there again and again...and again. PS, make a reservation.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/16/2012

    Went there on a Wednesday night because I kept raving how delicious Sangria and Spanish food is to my hubby.

    The atmosphere - loved our waiter! Did a fab job of explaining the menu and recommending some dishes. Very relaxed atmosphere that is perfect for an evening with friends.

    The food - not impressed, but it wasn't bad either. I was just expecting a little bit more based on reviews.

    Will we be back? Maybe for the sangria or before going to a show but def. not for the main meal.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/16/2012
    1 check-in

    There is just nothing bad or even remotely negative to say about this place. Sangria was superb, service was wonderful, and the food may have changed my life.

    That short-rib stuffed pepper - oh my! And the scallops. I was with a group of 4 and sampled many delicious items. I think you are safe ordering anything here. The place was crowded. We were lucky to get seated relatively quickly. I recommend a reservation. Go hungry and take your time!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/7/2013

    Excellent food!!
    We had the red sangria, that was delicious! And we ordered the steak and blue cheese, the grilled octopus and the potato omelet. The steak and octopus were outstanding, the omelet was a bit dry... wouldn't order it again.. For dessert (also in small tapas size) we had the almond caramel bar and the chocolate truffle cake, both very good.
    They have a great menu, will have to come back to try some more tapas!!

  • 2.0 star rating
    10/1/2012 Updated review
    11 check-ins

    I had planned to take group of 4 from Boston out to dinner at another restaurant but changed my plans when I got a text offering $1 Pintxos and $3 tapas and 1/2 price cocktails in the bar. So I thought, I'd take them to Ba-Ba-Reeba instead.  A group of my friends and I go frequently for Sunday brunch and the service and food is always fabulous.

    BIG MISTAKE!  The food was tasty, as usual, but the service was horrible!  The server forgot beverages and gave us bad info on several of the items so when they came, they were different than explained.

    Mark, the manager, was less than professional when we asked to speak with him.  His excuse was that "the menu is discounted tonight".  REALLY?!  You sent ME the text offering the deal!  If you want people to come in, then don't treat them like trailer trash when they take you up on the deal.

    Also, the YELP! check-in deal.. the fine print says one per table not one per check-in.  I use YELP! for my business and have great results but then my deal is PER CHECK not per table... crappy offer if you ask me!

    My last review was 4 stars... you only get 2 this time and I probably won't ever come back for any "deals"!

    4.0 star rating
    9/9/2011 Previous review
    Great food one little plate at a time!  Good server but food delivery was a little sporadic - our… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    4/14/2013

    This is my favorite tapas place of all times. I've sampled many of the dishes and I have found that each and everyone has been decision.

    Make reservations a week in advance. They are always busy. It's easy they are on opentable. or try to squeeze into the bar. It's small plates so perfect for the bar too!

    We always end up here for a siblings birthday or new years eve or a date night. The sangria is yummy and the service is wonderful.

    Some staples to get on your visit: half pitcher sangria, papas bravas, the steak onion and horseradish, and paella! Oh and don't forget the bacon wrapped dates!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/9/2012

    We don't typically eat at corporate restaurants (this is one of 40+ owned by Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises), but Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was convenient to our B&B after a long flight, and my girlfriend had eaten here before. Fortunately, we had reservations; as others have mentioned, it can get very crowded, even on weeknights.

    The Blueberry Patch cocktail was very nice (blueberry vodka, blueberry jam, lemon juice, honey syrup and mint), although a little light on the alcohol. Kind of like a blueberry mojito. The free bread was also tasty, and the tapas were quite good. The best were the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, the warm potato & onion omelette, the roasted chicken empanada, and the rioja-braised short ribs w/ mashed potatoes. The seared spanish sausages (chorizo, txistorra, butifarra y morcilla) and the beef skewer, horseradish cream & red onions were solid, but by the time they arrived we were already stuffed.

    The service was just OK. Our waiter suggested we get three tapas each, which was way too much. Two tapas per person is standard at most places, and would have been more than enough here. At least we had lots of leftovers....

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/14/2013

    They have a separate gluten free menu which is varied, and everything was delicious. Great place for a group with one lone gf-eater...definitely don't feel left out of the fun.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/3/2014

    I am obsessed!! This is by far the best place to go with a group of friends.  Their food is amazing and it is always fun to pick a few different things here.  I love their fillets with blue cheese and their scallops are to die for!  Though their food is incredible, nothing beats a pitcher of their sangria.  My favorite has to be the passion fruit, it is perfect for these hot summer days... or at least the few warm days we have gotten.  As embarrassing as it is, I went there 3 times last week with friends because I couldn't get enough.  Definitely a highlight of Lincoln Park!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/20/2011
    1 check-in

    Wanted to explore tapas options other than my favorite, I decided to give BabaReeba a try. First impression was pretty good! I started out with a free Pintxos platter (Yelp check-in offer), which had 6 little items. Loved the short rib stuffed pepper & chorizo-wrapped date. Also liked the stuffed mushrooms, shrimp in garlic oil. Only letdown was the lamb kebob, which I thought was a bit too gamey and tough. But overall a pleasant meal, so I'll be back to try more tapas!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/17/2011

    I have been here many many times but never did a review because so many of my visits were myself and 80 to 90 of my Jr High Spanish Students.  Ay caramaba - not only did I live to tell the tale but I came back here, voluntarily, on my own risking a flashback experience.  For those of you who have never organized a trip to a Spanish restaurant for 13 year olds to eat new food and experience Flamenco dancing I can only say, it's not as glamorous as it sounds.

    The fact that I chose to come here on our anniversary says a lot about the restaurant and how hard they tried with my students.  

    My husband and I got here at 11:00 on a Saturday and it was so nice and calm and quiet.  I noticed the cool decor, I was so relaxed. I realized I could enjoy this restaurant as a real person.  Our waiter was wonderful, attentive but not hovering.  We both had Sangria and delicious brunch Pintxos - my favorite was the egg bite.  We then moved on to lunch Tapas and the best was the Pincho de Solomillo and the lamb.  We were now too full for the paella which was quite a shame because I love their paella even when I was sharing it with about a hundred children, that's how good it is.   Then our waiter brought us a complimentary selection of Dessert Pintxos for our anniversary.   I enjoyed them and a superb Latte.   ¡Sabroso!

    While we were there, the place filled up quickly; many of the tables had babies and small children.  It made me realize the difference between raising kids now and when I raised mine where we took them to fast food restaurants.  The restaurant was really good with the kids, kudos to Lettuce for making their restaurants more kid friendly.  The babies fussed and cried but it just made us laugh cause it wasn't our problem!

    Great restaurant to enjoy as an adult, I'll drink another Sangria to that.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/27/2012
    1 check-in

    Yummmmm!!! I love this place and definitely recommend to my friends and colleagues. So delicious and affordable. We went for lunch on a Friday without reservations and getting a table was no problem.

    The service is great, and the prices are right. We ordered so many things and the waitress was nice enough to space everything out and told us to let her know when we were full so we don't order too much. Although we tried a lot, there was so much more that I wanted--tapas style always does that to me.

    My favorites were the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce with grilled bread and the charcuterie platter. I can't have too many favorites otherwise I'd say everything...so the highlights were the sangria and garlic potato salad. We had the sangria of the day which was a mango & peach (white) sangria...out of this world amazing and probably the best sangria I've ever had..and the garlic potato salad is surprisingly the best potato salad I've had also.

    Definitely a memorable meal, and can't wait to come back and try more!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    6/12/2014

    First timer here with a few third and fourth timers. It has to say something about this place if my friends are and family keep returning. The food is very good and service compliments the food. Couldn't say much about the servings, but you could consider them appetizer size. I recommend to try the paella, its Spanish rich with meat and some veggies or seafood and veggies. Check out the menu on their site and I definitely recommend making a reservation(they get busy on weekends).

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/19/2011

    My wife and I were in Spain a year ago so this seemed like a good choice for our anniversary.  It proved to be a really good choice.

    Our waiter took really good care of us and Rich Melman has done a great job recreating the ambiance of a Spanish Tapas restaurant.  The tapas portions here seem to be the size of a "racion" in Spain but the feel is the same.  I had the short stack pintxo and the mac n cheese with bacon to start off.  Both great - Mac n Cheese plus bacon; why has no one thought of this before?  In the lunch part of our choices my favorite was the albondigas.  We ended the meal with tastes of desserts and coffee.

    Great meal for a great celebration with my wife.  I would go again when it wasn't even such a special event.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/8/2013

    I love this place, one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. So many yummy small plates to share, I always get the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce and bacon wrapped dates, they also have very good seasonal special plates & drinks.

    Great drinks, food, service, and ambiance.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/4/2011

    The restaurant even smells like Spain. You can't get much more authentic than that. I was instantly transported to Spring Break 2003 in Toledo. I half expected to see the chefs preparing my paella while smoking cigarettes with hanging butts on the verge of falling into my meal. Most Americans might consider that unclean, but I say it adds an additional smokey flavor to the cured meats.

    It was a friend-of-a-friend's birthday dinner. I was super excited she picked this place because I kept hearing wonderful things but couldn't bring myself to go without a good reason. I know tapas places are notorious for charging an arm and leg, which is as un-Spanish as you can get considering that tapas are traditionally served like cheap popcorn or peanuts in dive bars.

    We were seated relatively quickly and began our culinary crusade (too soon?) through the treasures of Espana. Naturally, we started our journey out right with a pitcher of passion fruit sangria. A pitcher of red and a pitcher of white, and I think another pitcher of red were also ordered during the course of this meal. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, but I would have liked it a little stronger and with a little more fruit. It might be considered too sweet for some, but I thought it was perfectly balanced.

    I was extremely pleased that all the guests decided to get in the true European spirit and split the food and the bill. It made things so much easier and gave everyone a little sample of most of the items on the menu. I'm ashamed to admit, but I ate: bacon wrapped dates, potato and onion omelette with some type of seasoned mayo, goat cheese in a tomato sauce with garlic bread, escargot with tomato and cheese atop buttered bread, pan fried squid, octopus salad, country style potatoes with a mild but bold red pepper sauce (my favorite), garlic potato salad and seafood paella bursting with fruits of the sea. The stuffed mushrooms looked and smelled amazing, but I loath mushrooms and didn't taste. My dining companions raved about them, though.

    The check comes and the number really smacks you in the face - $300. But then you realize that halfway through the meal you were about ready to burst. (I still don't understand why the majority of women there are wearing skinny jeans. I strongly urge you to wear a stretchy dress or pants with lots of elastic.) We had 11 people and picked up the slack on the birthday girl. They automatically added 18% gratuity, which saves me money since I typically do 20% but only do 18% to spite them when they hit me with mandatory gratuity. It came to exactly $30 per person. If I'd gone anywhere else I probably would have expected to pay that much for the sangria alone, so I think I got a great deal. I'm definitely coming here for my birthday!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/5/2013

    This place is really deserving of all the great reviews! Can't wait to go here again

    Excellent service, orgasmic food, delicious sangria!! Definitely get the sangria!

    The almond caramel bar for desert was to DIE FOR ahhhhhhhhh .... foodgasm!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/29/2012
    2 check-ins

    Love tapas, love ba ba reeba. shall I say more?

    Their menu did change however hence the four star review but otherwise the food is still very pleasant. Servers are good. Bartenders are not so don't sit at the bar.

    They have an outdoor - like area and that's what you have to wait the longest to sit in but it's worth it, for some reason it's an area with a life of its own!

    Try this place the food is all the craze, all the spices and deliciously marinated chicken, steak, shrimp, escargot and so on will leave you wanting more! Make sure you grab a glass of wine with that as well, it might be tough to choose however since most of their wine complements food uniquely but in abundance and choices aren't narrow!

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/10/2012

    I have a love/hate relationship with CBBR.  I love that its Lettuce so you know that the service is going to be great, which it is.  There are some definite stars, but the misses are big ones.  For example the simple things like olives are yummy.  The Spanish tortilla egg & potato dish is great.  The toasted bread with the tomato is simple and amazing.  The spicy potatoes with aioli is warm, toasty and yummy.  But then my boyfriend had the beef skewers and some of it was so tough that he couldn't chew it.  Other pieces were fine.  The sangria is just ok.  It seems like the pieces of apple are an afterthought and I know they don't use high quality wine for it, but it seems a little Boone's Farm-ish to me.  
    Would I go back?  In a heartbeat!  I'd just be very selective of what I was ordering.  Although if we were in the mood for tapas I'd probably select one of the other places to eat in Chicago.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/8/2013

    Ba Ba Reeba was my first try at tapas and i was impressed to say the least. We got around 6 plates for 4 people and it still managed to fill us up. The white peach sangria is WONDERFUL. I love sangria and i have to say this place delivered that light fruity taste that im drawn to. My only reason for not giving this place a 5 star is that the squid that we got was undercooked? I wasnt sure if it is suppose to be like that or is it just a mistake but it was very mushy. The flavors were still amazing, but the texture really threw me off to where i had to stop eating it due to my questioning of its cooked-ness. I still would come back and get the tapas here though and i would highly recommend it!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/28/2014

    Such delicious food! The tapas were so good. I will definitely go back when I'm back in Chicago. My server, Carly, was very helpful, made great recommendations and was very attentive!

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/11/2011

    3.5 - Chicago spoils you with so much great food, this was just good in comparison.

    It's hard to rate a huge table of tapas in order of deliciousness, so I'll just list the good and the meh.

    The Good
    -spicy potatoes with tomato aioli (mmm, fried on the outside, soft on the inside, not really that spicy though)
    -ahi tuna tartar (not much to expand on, it was just plain good)
    -scallops special (not the one on the menu, this had bacon!, I just wish there had been more, they were chopped up into tiny bites rather than served as a whole scallop)
    -crab & shrimp dip with piquillo peppers (I really shouldn't have eaten this because I have problems with shrimp, but it was yummy, almost like a seafood salad.  The peppers definitely added a kick)
    -roast dates with bacon and apple vinaigrette (how can you go wrong?)
    -pork ribs (I think these were my favorite, very tender and flavorful.  I don't typically like dealing with bones so I would never have ordered this, but am glad someone did, because it was delicious!)

    The Meh
    -tomato gazpacho (full disclosure: I'm not a fan of cold soup, so this was flavorful, but not great)
    -spiced lamb kebobs (kind of tough and not super flavorful, I could have done without this)
    -serrano ham, chorizo & manchego (it's served charcuterie-style, it was just ok)
    -shrimp and scallop paella (I don't know, I'm just not a fan of paella, it just tastes like soggy rice to me.  Yes, you get a big portion, but I think $13/pp is just too expensive)

    Overall I'm glad I tried it, but don't think I need to come back anytime soon.

  • 2.0 star rating
    9/11/2012

    Alright.. I feel really bad for giving this place two stars but there is a VERY IMPORTANT REASON for this.

    The tapas was good. Not great. Good enough for me to come back? No. It's not that the food was bad, but nothing wowed me. We had the octopus, croquettes, sausages and more, but they were just "okay". Their pinxtos were very delicious though.. I'll give 'em that.

    Why two stars instead of 3? The paella was horrible. We had the paella de mariscos. Me and my boyfriend have had this many times including the times in Spain and this was far most the worse paella we've ever had. The dish was VERY salty. Seafood can be salty by themselves and it tasted like they took a handful of Morton salt and dumped it on the paella (NO, seriously, that's how salty it was). We didn't really complain to management because we were running late for Blue Man Group (and our server was really slow) so we just paid our bill, left the leftovers, and bought a bottle of water at a nearby shop.

    I still wonder if the paella was just bad on that day, but living in the northwest burbs, it really isn't worth the trip to try to see if it's any better.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/27/2014

    GREAT classic white sangria... SO good.  Great service.  Great tapas.  We would go back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/18/2014 Updated review

    Best tapas around.

    5.0 star rating
    2/13/2012 Previous review
    This place is pretty awesome. Had the pintxo platter and recommend it highly to get a taste of… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    10/30/2013
    2 check-ins

    One of my favorite restaurants in chicago

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/26/2014

    Great sangrias and tapas! Totally recommend getting the warm goat cheese in tomato sauce and fried calamari.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/4/2011
    1 check-in

    Came here for an early dinner with a friend on a Sunday afternoon. Of course we both checked in on Yelp and got the check-in special: free pintxos platter (which was delicious).

    We got seated right away but it took 20 minutes til we got a server (and it wasn't very busy). So we politely asked the hostess if a server can come to our table. Finally a manager came in to our table and took our orders and then brought a server for the rest of our meal.

    We got a half pitcher of the classic red sangria (yum) and I got the plato de la casa while my friend got the chicken empanada. They were all great but its tapas so small portions (so don't come in hungry).

    When we asked for our check, our server surprised us with deserts...on the house! We got the creme brulee and cherry chocolate cake and both were amazing!

    Big props to the manager for taking care of a customer service issue!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/13/2013

    Where to start! The place is cute, love the new addition on the side. Our server was great and was nice to tell us exactly how much food to order and so we didn't order too much or too little.

    The food was fantastic. The goat cheese in tomato sauce was delicious. I also got the lamb skewers, and spicy potatoes. All to die for! It was very crowded and a little noisy, but people were having a good time and you can't blame the restaurant.

    White Sangria was my favorite and the server always had a pitcher on our table which was great. I go back all the time.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/10/2012 Updated review

    I will say, this is one of my favorite places in the entire city.

    I went here last night for my third time. The Sangria is incredible. I ordered the classic white and my family ordered the classic red. Just delicious, but be careful because you can drink it like water!

    We ordered a variety of different things. To start, we ordered the bacon wrapped dates (my fave!) and a bread with tomato, parm, and arugula. It was so good!

    Then, we ordered the meatballs, which were delish. You could taste a hint of green pepper in the sauce. Just wonderful. We then ordered a roasted veggie spread with bread. The bread was warm!

    We also had the chicken skewers with pesto and grilled zucchini. The chicken was just okay.

    Then, we ordered 2 servings of chicken and pork paella! i absolutely love their paella. It comes with artichokes and green peppers. If you have never had saffron before, the taste might be something you have to acquire.

    For dessert, we ordered the coconut flan, almond and caramel bar, and caramelized bananas. They were all wonderful and only 3 bucks each!

    All of this food was for 3 people and it cost 93 bucks. Incredibly reasonable for the amount of food and sangria that we had.

    Also, we sat at the bar because there was a 30 minute wait, and JP, the bartender, was just fantastic!

    I am so happy to have found my new favorite place in the city.

    In case you did not know, babareeba is a lettuce entertain you restaurant as well!

    5.0 star rating
    11/7/2012 Previous review
    I attended Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba a few weeks ago for dinner with my hospitality class. As a DePaul… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    9/3/2012

    I was catching up with an old friend and she recommended this place because it's one of her favorites.

    Usually, Liz is pretty spot on with most food places however, it was holiday weekend and I preferred alcohol more than the food itself.

    We came in on a Saturday afternoon with no reservations and was told there would be a 15 minute wait so we sat at the bar and was served by a bartender with the handlebar mustasche. I automatically assumed he lived in one of those wicker park/bucktown hipster places.

    Liz said we should order a pitcher of sangria for the table but the peach fizz fuzz looked mighty appetizing.  The bartender asked for IDs and I'm I was a little annoyed because I'm way too old to be carded nowadays especially since I know my liquor and I know how it should be served.

    My friend received her sangria when our table was called and my peach fizz fuzz was being mixed.  My friend went to get the table while I waited for my order and when I took a sip, it was muy bueno!  That drink packed a punch but I was still up for a full pitcher of sangria.

    My friend and I have no limitations when it comes to food so I didn't mind that she picked all of the dishes and we started out with the following:

    * Tortilla Espanola
    *Queso de cabra al horno
    *Stuffed mushrooms and champinones rellenos

    The stuffed mushrooms and champinones rellenos were my favorite.

    Liz ordered additional plates since we were hungry and I was the only one nursing the large pitcher of passion fruit sangria.

    *Beef skewers with horseradish cream & red onions, pincho de solomillo
    *chorizo paella (small plate)

    Overall, the experience was pretty good. I liked how the alcohol packed the punch and our waiter was super funny.

    I'd come back to this place when I'm in town catching up with friends

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/1/2012

    I came here for a birthday celebration and thank goodness that there was no wait for our table since we had a big party.
    I ordered rioja-braised short ribs with mashed potatoes which was amazing!! The meat was juicy and filled with a ton of flavors! I would have probably ordered 3 of these plates if i knew that it was going to be this good!
    I also tried the beef empanada which was great.
    The goat cheese baked in tomato sauce is good to share but I would ask for more bread.
    Other than that, the server messed some of my friends orders. I don't know his name but he also forgot to put some food in.
    The Sangria's were also amazing. I tried the white peach sangria, black raspberry sangria and passion fruit. They are all worth trying!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/3/2013 Updated review

    Ok now that I've been here at least 10 times in the last several months, I am officially updating my review to 5 stars.  My favorite dish by far is the spicy potatoes! :)  The sauce they serve with them is simply delicious.  Also a fan of the scallops and the stuffed mushrooms.  

    My only complaint.....  they took the brownie off their dessert menu! :)

    4.0 star rating
    9/21/2011 Previous review
    Ok after 1000 plus reviews, I cannot add anything witty or helpful!  However I do have two points:… Read more
  • 2.0 star rating
    8/14/2013

    I hadn't eaten here in several years, but decided to eat here on a recent visit to Chicago.  It was not at all as good as I remembered.  The sangria was okay, but I wouldn't order it again.  And I love sangria.  It just wasn't as good as I remembered it.  My spicy potatoes and brussel sprout dishes were fine, but my friend had the paella and said it was definitely not very good.  We gave the leftovers to the cabbie.  Service was very slow as well.  So, overall, too bad we wasted a dinner on this place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/23/2011

    I went here last time I was in Chicago.  Oh it was soooo good.  It's been 3 years, and I still think it was the best tapas place I've ever been to.  Planning another trip and believe me, this is top of my food list!  If you haven't been, you must give it a try!

    I went with a group, so we tried what seemed like every dish on the menu.  I can't recall a single thing that wasn't described by the group as amazing.  really... it was all fantastic.  cheese, meatballs, etc etc.  yum yum yum

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/1/2012

    This is one of the best tapas places in the entire city. My parents used to come here on dates in high school. I returned for my umpteenth trip to Babareeba a few weeks ago with 2 girlfriends and we decided to try some new things. It also doesn't feel cheesy and overplayed like other LEYE restaurants. It's very unique and I like that about it. The outdoor patio is to die for, I really want to go back in the summer and sit there for drinks.

    First off, get the sangria. The pitcher or half pitcher is well worth the money and you're going to drink it all. The peach is my favorite because it doesn't even taste like alcohol.

    Some of the other noteworthy things I enjoyed were the patatas bravas. This is probably the best thing I've ever had at this restaurant. The paella is also good, but takes 30 minutes to make. Also one of my favorites is the goat cheese marinara with garlic bread. I've also been here for brunch and had cinnamon french toast, which was simple but delicious.

    The waitstaff is also quick and our waters were always full, and they were always bringing us new plates to eat with.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/25/2012

    Love love love.  Any place that goes out of their way to cater to a random customer's every wish is pretty impressive, so I have to give them credit for going above and beyond!

    I came with family and tried almost everything on the menu which was delicious. They even went off-menu to make cheese empanadas from scratch, by request, for my uncle because they're his favorite. I seriously hope they add them to the menu because they were flaky and perfect and better than the beef ones on the menu.

    And don't pass up the sangria...

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/26/2012

    I have been to this place several times over the past five years and every time I go back its just as good as I remembered. They have great sangria, and great pintxos as well as tapas. Very authentic to Spain and very tasty and reasonably priced for Lincoln Park. Great for groups as well as an intimate date.

    Highly recommend!!!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/2/2013
    2 check-ins

    I LOVE THIS PLACE. But when I'm broke, it's depressing so make sure you have a good amount of money in your account. It's not the most frugal dinner.

    TIP: Always, and I mean ALWAYS make reservations. Waiting is a bezatch here. Unless you don't mind getting tipsy at the bloody mary bar or ordering a whole pitcher of their awesome sangria for yourself. But be warmed, there will be many at the bar waiting around with you. So save yourself the grief, get a reservation and take your pitcher with you.

    --------------
    Shrimp with garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes. // Now, there is about (estimate) 5 shrimp in this dish. But, the olive oil and garlic that is left in the dish after the shrimp is 3/4 of the reason why we keep getting it. People say shun the bread basket because it just makes you full... well I say order seconds and don't LET the waiter take that bowl away. Dip it!!

    Bacon wrapped dates // The salty bacon with the dates? How can you say no? It's like the Spanish version of pouring maple syrup on your bacon. Come on, admit it, you "accidentally" do it too.  

    Garlic Potato Salad // Who doesn't love a good fatty carb!
    Goat Cheese Baked in Tomato Sauce // Perfect with bread, you just keep dipping!
    Spiced Lamb Kebab with lemon, mint and tomato // I love a good kick in my mouth.
    Octopus a la Plancha, fingerling potatoes and olive // Overall a good hearty dish

    Drink = Sangria.They have different flavors so choose one you like. You really can't go wrong unless you don't like wine and fruit. Then you're all sorts of wrong.

    Share dishes openly, hoard on your plate quickly, drink superfluously, and eat slowly. It's food for conversation, not a hotdog eating contest.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/30/2013

    Great place, cool decor/atmosphere and solid food.

    I love tapas. The more, the merrier!  I've been to Ba-Ba-Reeba a few times, most recently this past sunday, and they always deliver a solid experience.

    One of my favorite things about the restaurant is that you can order "1 bite" portions of tapas for super cheap, around $1-3. .  Its a way to get the best from a tapas experience while not getting hit too hard on the bill.  The 1 bite tapas are really good too! This past sunday we had the dates stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon (delish) and the pepper stuffed with meat.  Very yummy as well!

    The sangria is solid, gets you just tipsy enough and is reasonably priced.  A pitcher that gives you 7 glasses of sangria costs you about $20 which is a steal.  You can also choose from different flavors like passion fruit and berry.  We really enjoyed the passion fruit one.

    We also had the octopus that day which we loved though, for $9, the portion seemed a bit small.  The lamb dish we had, also in the $10 range, wan't special and also a bit overpriced in my estimation.  Both tasted great but I think they both should have been priced around $7-8.

    I would definitely come back. Good place to go with friends or on a date night. Good food, solid sangria and a nice atmosphere to boot!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/20/2013

    Definitely my favorite tapas restaurant in Chicago. Service is excellent,  deliciously food, and  the BEST sangrias ever!!

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/5/2013

    3.5 stars was just as good as Cafe Iberico, but I didn't get that authentic feel. Wine list was enjoyable, food was delicious, and service was good. It was a quiet night, Monday 9:00PM, and the hostess was MIA we had to wait a while which I did not care for. For LP it was great.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/14/2012

    Came here with our small group and had a selection of food to share (obviously since its a tapas place).  I've been to much better, but of course they were in San Francisco!  Otherwise, the sangria was very tasty, and the food was good.  Great to come with a group and have fun.  We had potatoes, squid, shrimp, short ribs, and several other items (I can't remember) but all were good!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/19/2013

    In general food was great, I had some Pinxtos, Montaditos + Tapas.  The waitress was very friendly. I highly recommend the calamares a la plancha. The only reason I did not give this place a five star review was because the guy serving the food just threw the food on the table, and when some of the food spilled of the plate he just said "oh sorry" and left. This happened twice.  Love the food just not the service.

  • 2.0 star rating
    11/25/2013

    Average.  Nothing was really to extraordinary.  I've had tapas at other places, and they were better.  I will say the service was nice.  But I won't be back, because I can find places that are twice as nice as this place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/5/2014

    YOU HAVE TO EAT HERE!  A Chicago colleague recommended this place when I mentioned we'd be coming from St. Louis to celebrate a special birthday.  I was a little nervous when I called the restaurant a couple hours before our 7:00 Saturday reservation to see if we could make it earlier and the gal made it sound like even our 7:00 wasn't necessarily going to be seated on time.  No worries. We kept it at 7, we showed up at 7, we were seated shortly thereafter.  Service was cheerful and prompt, and the plates kept coming.  Every single bite was sensational!  And amazingly, the prices were very reasonable.  Can't wait to go back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/2/2013
    1 check-in

    Been here three times now and never a disappointment. Amazing spicy potatoes, moist meatballs, delicious fresh bread and sangria. Good place to go as a date, family, or big group. Prompt service and very reasonable prices. Parking is annoying though since it's a pretty busy neighborhood without lots.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/30/2012

    Terrific atmosphere, great food, tasty sangria.
    Try the bacon mac and cheese with scrambled eggs, it truly hits the brunch spot!!!
    I have never been disappointed in any dish I have ordered.
    I recommend the calamari, the beef tenderloin, and the croquetas!
    The only reason I would not give this place 5 stars would be the service. The first time I went, we waited a very long time after being seated even to be greeted and have our drink orders taken. By this time we were ready to order everything already. We did have to grab a different server at one point because we didn't see ours much at all. It was not too busy at this time, either. The second time was early, around 10am when they opened. The service was prompt, but we had a different issue. I understand when the restaurant first opens there are not many tables to attend so the servers stand around, but we felt down-right uncomfortable eating because we were being watched by different servers who were not busy. It was hard to relax and enjoy the food when we could see them just standing there watching us. Quite uncomfortable. This is more a note to the business, just something to keep in mind. Other than those two issues, I love coming here. The prices are fair and the food is excellent.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/13/2013
    2 check-ins

    Loved it! Such great atmosphere!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/13/2013

    My favorite Tapas place in Chicago!  

    Great sangria with a variety of flavors to choose from along with a very large selection of truly delicious tapas dishes.  The bacon wrapped dates, the endive salad, the beef skewer with horseradish sauce and many others are mouth-watering good.

    The place is large, always busy, and has a good buzzing energy to it.  They also have a nice outdoor semi-enclosed patio.

    I've been there multiple times and it's delicious!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/4/2013

    Love this place, Food is excellent just mad my table cant be 10 times bigger to fit everything I order! Little confused on some reviews about the small portions, its Tapas go to TGIF if you want a giant hamburger and crappy fries.

    Sangria there is excellent, I could stay there all day. If you havent been try it, if your going to go its busy go early or call for a reservation like a week in advance.

  • 1.0 star rating
    1/14/2011

    In my 200 plus reviews, I don't think I've ever described the food at any restaurant as gross and disgusting, but there's a first time for everything! And Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba gets that honor. My sister and I were in the neighborhood and I thought what kind of a Chicagoan would I be if I've never eaten here before and everyone else has. So we decided to check it out. Twenty-five minute wait on a weeknight. The smell of the grease in the air was making me nauseous before we even sat down. Ever heard of a vent hood in the kitchen? Did not like the college/teeny bopper crowd at all.

    We were seated but our waiter took his sweet time showing up to take our order. Then he insulted my intelligence by asking me if I knew what tapas were. Yes moron, I'm familiar with the concept of tapas and I've eaten at just about every tapas place except this one. So we ordered and I waited, and waited, and waited, and then waited some more for my sangria to show up. The food started coming out and still no sangria in sight. Had to flag down two bus boys and tell them to go fetch my server for one of them to finally actually go and tell my server that he forgot to put in my sangria order. We had just gotten our last plate when my sangria finally arrived, with this from the server: "Sorry, I couldn't read my own handwriting." So the reason I sat here sangria-less through my whole meal was because you couldn't read your own handwriting? Oh, ok then, that makes me feel so much better.

    On to the food--the bacon-wrapped dates were dripping with oil, way too greasy and burnt. The chicken & ham croquetas--just gross and tasteless. The short ribs were decent but the mashed potatoes tasted like they were out of a box with no salt or butter in them, tasted like nothing. The skewered chicken & chorizo sausage was absolutely disgusting. I ate a piece of each and I wish I had just spit it back out. The chicken was not cooked at all. I can see why people get sick after eating here. I believe them! We both felt ill for a day after eating here. We didn't actually get physically sick because we only ate a piece each of the chicken, but my stomach was definitely not happy with me. Took forever to get our check. Take it from me, you're actually a better Chicagoan if you don't ever come here to eat.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 2.0 star rating
    8/12/2013

    Came here after a couple recommendations from friends. Perhaps being from Manhattan, I'm a bit spoiled, but it really wasn't all that it's cracked up to be. The patatas bravas were mediocre, the mango sangria was good but didn't taste that fresh, the croquettes were fine. The only thing that was delicious was the bacon mac n cheese -- but come on -- that's quite a low bar to clear.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/6/2012

    I came here with a friend and acquaintance.  Nice place for sangria and tapas.
    We ordered the specialty Mango Sangria, Yum!  The dishes add up quick because you just want to eat and eat and eat!  We ordered the Calimari, Scallops, Shrimp, Ribs, Beef, Stuffed Mushrooms, Spicy Potatoes, Roasted Sweet Potatoes.  Overall it was good.  For the prices, fantastic, if you don't mind the greasiness, oiliness, and saltiness.  I prefer some other places just for presentation and overall taste.  Not complaining bout it because it was still good.  

    The atmosphere is young, with loud music, outdoor and semi open outdoor seating.
    I would love to try some of their other drinks.  Fun place maybe for a girls night too.

    Can't wait to go again!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/31/2013

    Went here for Sunday brunch today.  Hadn't been before, but had heard good reviews so wanted to try.  

    Place was packed but managed to secure nice table in the bar without too much hassle.  Service was quick and effective, but the real showpiece here was the food.  

    Ordered the meatballs, some paella, macaroni and cheese (with bacon!!), goat cheese and the short ribs.  Each and every dish was awesome in their own right.  Short rib was extremely tender, as were the meatballs.  Goat cheese was flavorful and came with a generous helping of garlic bread.  The sausage paella was nice and crispy (without being dry) and the egg on top was an added bonus.  However the mac and cheese with bacon was the standout.  The portion was quite large and the flavor was great.  Prices were incredibly affordable based on the food, considering the location, as well as the quality and quantity.  We left feeling full, but not stuffed ...which is perfect for any restaurant, in my opinion.    

    Would happily recommend.  Can't wait to go back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/6/2012

    I've been a number of times, but am writing about my most recent experience with a few girlfriends yesterday evening. Every time I go, I have a great experience from the food to the service, and, most importantly, the sangria.

    The service was fantastic. When we sat down, the waiter greeted us, talked about his favorites, and discussed the idea of tapas since we had a newbie with us. We decided on the white sangria after much discussion. After the first pitcher was gone, we couldn't decide on what sangria to get next. Our waiter brought over a sample for us to try to decide. He was very helpful, attentive, and made sure that we were happy customers.

    After reviewing the menu, we each ordered something different for us to all pass around and try. My favorites are the Goat Cheese & Tomato Sauce, Spicy Potatoes, Bacon Wrapped Dates, Garlic Shrimp, and Stuffed Mushrooms. Make sure you get enough to share! They recommend 2-3 per person.

    After the last plate was dropped off and we finished our small plates, our waiter kept refilling our water and allowed us to stay and catch up after he dropped the check off. We ended up staying for about an HOUR after he dropped it off, and never once tried to push us out of the restaurant! You don't find that too much these days. It was such great and respectable service.

    I will definitely be coming back soon to try more things here!

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/12/2013

    I was really disappointed with my last trip to Ba-Ba-Reeba.  It's usually a decent place for large groups because of the menu setup but the food simply wasn't good.  The best thing I had was a single deviled egg and that was fairly good.  Misses were:
    brussel sprout salad with marconas and manchego - they used full sprout leaves as opposed to thinly shaving the sprouts.  The leaves were too tough and bland
    patatas bravas - ok but the potatoes needed seasoning
    grilled salmon - way undercooked, not even edible.  The herb pesto was totally lost
    octopus - pretty good flavor but a bit too much salt.
    short ribs - ok but a little soupy.  Admittedly an odd choice for us as it's a pretty heavy dish

    Overall things just missed, I was surprised.  I won't be heading back anytime soon, I've heard you can find better in at Cafe Iberico.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/5/2012
    2 check-ins

    This is not a place you are going to just show up to or you will hate it.  The wait will be both considerable and annoying because it can be crowded.  If you come here with a reservation though, you will have a wonderful experience.

    I am glad that I waited for our second visit with a larger party to review the place.  The food was still excellent and now that I have had a chance to sample more of their menu I can say that this place is a must stop place if you are a tapas fan.

    I would steer people towards the seafood paella, the chicken was great but not as spectacular as the execution of the seafood is.

    The sirloin was a big hit with the tapas virgins with our group.  I would say it is a required dish for the first timer.

    Out of all the bread spread the goat cheese is excellent and above the rest.  They are all good but what they do with goat cheese should be available for my toasts every morning.  Delicious.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/20/2012
    1 check-in

    LOVE the small plate presentation.  Lots of different flavors and colors and textures!!  For four of us, including a pitcher of Sangria, the total was ~$60.  SOOoooo affordable for a nice lunch and great atmosphere.  Highly recommend everything.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/13/2012

    GET THE BACON WRAPPED DATES. I've been here a handful of times and have always had a good experience.

    Their paella is good as it is not mushy like I've had in some places. The food is generally savory and exciting. I also love the authentic air-dried ham legs and the decor in general, it is warm and inviting.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/9/2012
    1 check-in

    This is a great place for groups because they can handle them well and it's super affordable - our bill for 4 with a pitcher of sangria was only $85!

    The restaurant was packed when we arrived at 7:30 pm on a Saturday night. Our wait time was 1 hour. We had a pitcher of the classic white sangria while we waited at the bar. We were lucky enough to eventually get four seats in a row there and they were swooped up so fast when our party was called that the people replacing them hindered my party from getting out of the bar area! Prime real estate, I guess. The sangria was good. I was surprised that it came from a tap and that the fruit is added to the pitcher later. I thought the whole purpose was to let the fruit infuse the wine and vice versa? Oh well, still yummy.

    The small plates that really stood out included the stuffed mushrooms, goat cheese in tomato sauce, gazpacho, chicken & ham croquettes

    Plates my Chicago native dining mates enjoyed but that I wasn't so fond of personally: ahi tuna, grilled squid

    Check-in offers:
    Facebook - free order of bacon wrapped dates
    Foursquare - free pinxtos platter with your first check-in
    Yelp: 1 free dessert

    Overall, fun and great dining experience. The waiter we had was very attentive and helpful with dish selections. The runners and bussers do an amazing job keeping the food coming and clearing away your plates as the small tables can get kind of crowded. This place is really noisy because there's so much going on, but it just adds to the experience.

    I will definitely be back and recommending this place to anyone I know visiting Chicago

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/21/2013

    Great food, drinks, service, atmosphere - what else could you want! Been there 3 times and always pleasurable!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/13/2012
    1 check-in

    Wow Wow Wow! Food here is absolutely delicious!

    Highlights from my meal:
    chorizo-wrapped medjool date & cheese
    short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper
    scallops a la plancha, jamón ibérico vinaigrette - OMG
    handmade beef empanada
    spicy potatoes with tomato alioli
    caramel - dulce de leche, tres leche cake

    I had many more items as I was with a group of four, but these were the highlights for me, absolutely delicious and memorable! Definitely sets the bar high for any other Tapas restaurant!

    Oh yea, and they have sangria on TAP, say what? Yum!

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/2/2013

    This place is definitely a place to go with a group of your closest girl friends. It's a tapas place so share everything! Which I always do anyway! The wait was kind of a pain in the you know what, but that was our own fault for not making reservations. The food here was alright. Nothing wowed me. But I can't say I hated anything either. I definitely felt satiety after my meal, which is always a good sign, but I'm not in any hurry to go again.

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/31/2012
    1 check-in

    I've been to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba on two occasions. Once for dinner a few years ago, and my memory of this was quickly washed away with a pitcher of Sangria, and once for brunch a month or so ago.

    Overall, I was very unimpressed with brunch. Our table did not get the bread starter, our server seemed frazzled and almost disoriented, and the food was very OK. It just seemed very like the dishes were thrown together and not well thought out.

    However one of the better parts of the day was their bloody mary bar. So many condiments, spices, mixes, everything you could ask for.

    In my opinion they need to step up their brunch game a little bit more!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/12/2010

    I've dined here a couple of times throughout the years and always walk away quite satisfied. I had the pleasure of dropping by again last night and had:

    bacon-wrapped dates
    mushroom empanada with porcini alioli
    ahi tuna, shaved vegetable salad
    seared scallops, raisins, couscous, and pine nuts***
    shrimp with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes
    escargot, garlic croutons, sherry alioli***
    rioja short ribs, manchego mashed potatoes***
    prime sirloin, asparagus, shitakes, and potatoes
    meatballs with sherry tomato sauce***
    serrano ham, salchichon, chorizo, and manchego***
    grilled chicken kabob and chickpeas salad
    fried green peppers and coarse salt
    chicken and ham croquetas
    seafood paella

    The tapas with the asterisks were the most exceptional. The escargot was my absolute favorite. I would like to give this place 5 stars, but I can't since their drink selection is seriously lacking. They had about 5-6 cocktails on their menu which is pretty pathetic. Although the drinks are quite strong.....

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/12/2013

    BACON. WRAPPED. DATES.

    This restaurant is delicious!  It can be expensive between two people, but if you have a large group, be sure to go here.  Definitely make a reservation since it gets very busy around dinner time.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/2/2012

    Yumminess! Very friendly staff and brunch was tasty.  I had waffles, eggs, and date covered bacon. Such a treat.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/27/2012

    Since my Barcelona trip, I've been in love with Spanish tapas so it's no surprise that I ended up here.

    Service was great. Venue was nice. Blah blah blah and on with the food we go.

    * Garlic Potato Salad - Delicious and not heavy of the garlic flavors. Very fresh.
    * Scallops Special - Good
    * Meatballs with Cherry Tomato Sauce - Cooked well. Not dry and tasty.
    * Jamon Iberico - If you've never tried this, do yourself a favor and try it. My favorite cold cut.
    * Gambas Al Ajillo - Just shrimp with garlic and red pepper flakes. Nothing absolutely special but still good.
    * Roasted Green Peppers - Not spicy and something good to munch on.
    * Passion Fruit Sangria - Good. Not overpowered in flavor. Refreshing.

    An overall enjoying meal. Wasn't mind blowing but worth a stop and return. Had I known our Purple Pig dinner would be forgetful, I would have tried more dishes here.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/12/2011
    4 check-ins

    Spicy Potatoes!  Spicy Potatoes! Spicy Potatoes!

    I am typically not a tapas person, but my girlfriend has converted me.  They have a huge menu and the service is typically top notch.  Occasionally their kitchen will get backed up, but they do get your food out to you very quick.  I recommend switching it up every time you go, but do make sure that their spicy potatoes are ordered at every visit!

    Beware of the weekend crowds!  The place becomes an absolute zoo and it's very difficult to get a reservation.  This is hands down my favorite tapas place!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/15/2012

    Honestly, this was the best meal I have had in quite some time.
    We made a reservation, which I recommend doing, because it seems to be always busy!
    Had the mango sangria- amazing!
    We ordered a bunch of stuff and all of it was great. Bacon-wrapped dates, chicken/veggie paella, spicy potatoes, beef with veggies and one of the chicken skewers. I have no complaints about any of it!
    I think the potatoes and the paella were my favorites. The beef was so tender it literally just melted in your mouth.
    Oh and we got the potatoes free for checking in on Facebook! I think they have little rewards like that for checking in on any type of social media app, which is cool.
    Service was quick and efficient.
    I am going back ASAP!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/11/2012
    2 check-ins

    Heard really good things about this place and a friend recommended it, so I had to try it out.

    Came with some friends on a Friday afternoon around 3pm. We were running a little late so I called and they said it was no problem - very friendly staff. Interior of this place looks so cool!!! Almost felt like I was in Spain for a minute...which brings me to the food.
    I had amazing paella in Spain last summer, so I got it here to see how it would measure up. I was really dissapointed...kind of dry, mussels were definitely not the best I've had. Maybe my expectations were too high.
    Anyway, we also got a TON of tapas:

    Calamares a la plancha
    - REALLY good calamari...on a bed of arugula (I believe) with olive oil and garlic.

    Beef empanada
    - Very tasty, nice presentation

    Pinxtos platter -
    (queso chorizo-wrapped medjool date & cheese, Aguacate ahi tuna poached in olive oil on avocado toast, goat cheese croqueta, short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper, olive cream cheese & pimento, mushroom & rice croqueta)
    - Where to start...everything was good! Croquetas were my fave, ahi tuna was very very tasty, and the other 3 were good, but didn't hit the spot like the rest.

    Datiles Con Tocino (roast dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette)
    - This was my FAVORITE DISH!!!! Soooooo good & tasty & wonderful...GET THIS! Bacon was cooked to crispy perfection, the date was soft, succulent, and juicy and the apple vinaigrette complimented the dish PERFECTLY. My mouth is watering just thinking about this...

    All 3 jarras (spreads) - (1) niçoise coquillo olive tapenade, (2) goat cheese, pistachio, mint and nispera preserves, (3) white bean purée, rosemary & chorizo
    - These spreads were delicious!!!!! My favorite was #2, but all were very good.

    Sausage platter
    - I can't remember/find the official name for this, but it was basically a spanish sausage sampler...all of them were phenomenal except for 1 that tasted kind of funky and had a deep red color.

    Mango sangria
    - Reallyyyy really good. And this is coming from someone who rarely drinks alcohol. Didn't taste AS good as the sangria in Spain, but still very tasty. Loved the chunks of fruit inside!

    We also got the pinxtos platter (free with yelp check-in). I'm not a huge dessert person, but my friends gobbled it up so I'm assuming they liked it a lot.
    It included: profiterole, passion fruit sorbet, crema catalana, fruit pound cake, marcona almond tart, spanish brownie. All for free - pretty sweet deal.

    I would definitely recommend this place...oh and be sure to go in time for the dinner menu - WAY  more yummy options :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/29/2011

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is delicious! I'm still not sure if I like it better than Cafe Iberico though...We had a party of 6, but it seems like a good place for people to bring larger groups. We started off with the pitcher or red sangria. It was good, stronger than I expected, and we all got about 1.5 glasses from it.

    We had the chorizo and bacon wrapped dates, which were soooo good. I had never tried them, but I'm glad I did! The calamari was cooked well, it was crunchy but still tender. The garlic potato salad and the spicy potatoes were also tasty. I didn't try the chicken empanada, but I think my friends liked them...

    We also had the beef skewers with horseradish...hmmm..they were OKAY. But the seafood paella, which I got for free joining their text club, was great! The shrimp and scallops perfectly cooked, with just the right amount of peapods and grape tomatoes...mm mm mm!

    In total, we had 12 tapas, and a pitcher of sangria for 144$.

    I will SO be back !

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/27/2008

    Myself and one of Yelp's loveliest and most intellilgent women, Kathleen O., sat down here last night for a little pre Thanksgiving warmup. Some dishing and noshing to kick off the long weekend.

    Raspberry Sangria - what a great idea. The Red Sangria is delicious as well, and begs you to stay for Just One More. So, we did!

    The hams hanging from the ceiling reminded me of my vivacious trip to Espana in 1995. Every single bar I went to there had jamons hanging from the ceilings. The difference here at BaBaRe, was there was no cigaret smoke curing the hams, as there was in Sevilla. Did they taste the same - I'll have to go back for that. They were the same variety, though, with (ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS STOP READING NOW) the hoof still attached, and a little cone shaped drip cup stuck in to catch drips of savory ham juice.

    The tapas . . . $3 tapas for happy hour, made this a happy TWO hours! It wouldn't be a Yelp review if I didn't mention the savory, crunchy, juicy BACON WRAPPED DATES. So simple, yet sooo delicious. Enigmatic little nips of goodness. Crunchy, chewy bacon, and plump-when-you-cook 'em dates. Sinful. But who doesn't love to sin, I ask you?

    Squid in vinegarette - another simple dish, very authentically Spanish, and so good. There are not dozens of flavors in most of these tapas, just delicious ingredients - and the food seems better to me than the last time I was here (more than 15 years ago!). Both the dates and the squid were swimming in a delicious juice that tasted great sopped up with the bread.

    The olive tapas is an excellent value, giant dish of olives. The meatballs, with patatas swimming in a savory, tangy sauce - delicious sopped up with *more* bread.

    If you go here, dine at the bar, like a Spaniard, and what the heck . . . let's have another raspberry Sangria!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/15/2014

    I can't write anything about this place that hasn't been said already. I have been to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba three times now and it never fails to disappoint. It is one of my favorite spots in the city for a delicious and affordable meal. The chicken empanadas and the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce are my two favorite things on the menu. These dishes are fantastic! The sangrias could be a tad stronger, but for the most part I have no complaints. The size of the pitcher is enough for 3 or 4 people to share but there is no harm in getting two. The atmosphere is versatile and works for any part of the day. I have been here after work, in the early afternoon, and at night. It's especially fun with a great group of friends who are just getting the night started. The experience and the service has been wonderful each time I go. You definitely have to put this one on your list of places to try. Though this place is affordable, it is easy to get carried away ordering multiple dishes since everything is so good!

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/18/2011

    Good prices on Bloody Marys and they have an extensive Bloody Mary Bar.  The brunch dishes are unique and interesting.  

    You can sit at the bar on a first come first-serve basis and this is best if you will be here for brunch as it offers a nicer atmosphere--except when some annoying girl sits next to you and spends the next hour talking on the phone to her loser girlfriend.  

    The staff was friendly and nice but the people around Halstead and Armitage are a different breed of person.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/2/2012
    1 check-in

    Unrivaled tapas spot in Chicago. While I don't think that there are many competitors, I challenge anyone to find better tapas in Chicago. Unfortunately, no one can, so the wait here is ludicrous or you just shouldn't try. I went to Babareeba last Friday with a group of seven. We weren't able to arrange for reservations ahead of time, and decided to put our names in. My friend first put our name in at 7:15Pm. We weren't seated until after 9Pm. With reservations, the wait isn't usually this long...I'm just giving fair warning.

    The sangria is a must. I love all the different types that they offer. Passion fruit is probably my favorite, but the regular red and white are very tasty staples. Our table ordered a bunch of plates to share. The complimentary bread is also far better than average.

    Normally, I list my favorite dishes and the dishes that miss, but I would be listing the whole menu under the heading "delicious." The best approach is to come with a group of four to six people and try everything. Make sure to order the wood-roasted sweet potato bravas, rioja-braised short ribs, and the beef skewer with horseradish cream & red onions. Other favorites include any of the croquetas, the meatballs, and the spicy potato bravas. I'm not a huge fan of artichoke dip and the goat cheese spreads in general, so I would skip that but I know the rest of the table loved them.

    The paella is good, but I don't think that it is necessary for a delicious and filling meal.

    This past trip was the first time that I had sampled the desserts thanks to a free gift with yelp check in. Thanks yelp! We all LOVED the dessert. DO NOT MISS THIS! The desserts are small bites, so you can find room after stuffing yourself with the tapas.  I didn't think that a caramelized banana could be improved upon, but Babareeba's banana dessert is fantastic. The hard sugary topping is a nice touch. The Butterscotch pudding was definately worth a taste, but it is very rich. Everyone loved the Chocolate truffle, no one needed more than a bite....it was that satisfying and dense.

    I don't love the layout of this place, but I understand the need to cram in tables wherever they fit, especially since big groups and birthdays love this place. There are so many rooms and corridors that you can get lost going to the bathroom. While I love being seated on the recently renovated patio, I'm less of a fan of being seated I the basement.

    The BEST part of Babareeba was the bill. For a table of seven that ordered two pitchers of sangria and three rounds of tapas, our Subtotal was $19 per person!!!! One of our part even had a $10 off coupon.  Its definitely worth the wait to be promised such a fun, festive, and filling evening. I just love this place!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/18/2013

    I went here with my boyfriend for my birthday and it was absolutely amazing. By far the best tapas place I have ever been to.

    We started off with the pinxtos, which are little bite size appetizers. My favorite was the goat cheese croquette. It was intoxicating. I think I could go here and those for my entire meal. We also had the scallops, which were unbelievable, the bacon wrapped dates and the dessert pinxtos. Everything was so good, and the service was great. I would definitely suggest trying as much as you can, but you must get the goat cheese croquettes.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/20/2012

    It was a thursday night, we wanted dinner and it's been awhile since I've been to CBBR. This Lettuce Entertain You spot has never disappointed, always great food.

    It was 6:30pm, and to our dismay there was over an hour  wait. I was clad in my Blackhawks jersey ready for Game 4 of the playoffs, so I spotted 2 spots at the bar and was gladly relieved to hear it was first come first serve. I highly suggest this as an option if you do not have a reservation.

    Order a pitcher of Sangria. The traditional Red is a good option. We tried the White Peach this time and it was a little too sweet. Was more like juice than Sangria. The tapas here are affordable, but be aware that if you order Wine/Sangria, you're bill will reflect accordingly. Be Warned.

    If you check in on foursquare, you get a free pintxos platter. A $9 value, pretty awesome deal. 6 bite size tapas for free! The goat cheese croqueta was one of my favorites. It was oozing and delicious. The mushroom and rice croqueta was also very good. The short rib stuffed piquillo pepper was too spicy for me, skip it.

    Let's face it, one reason people use Yelp is to see what to order. Here's some tips:

    #44 Shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes - Like a Spanish style shrimp scampi. Really delicious, a little kick of spiciness. Save the plate, the olive oil and garlic is delicious to sop up with your bread.

    #50 Beef tenderloin & blue cheese - So damn good. I wish I could have an entire steak of this, but unfortunately it comes with 2 small medallions. Perfectly cooked, it'll make your knees buckle. Must order. It comes with potato chips (homemade?) which are good to munch on but nothing to write home about. Not ideal for big groups, however, because of the small serving size.

    #53 Handmade Beef Empanada - Flaky crust with a beef filling. This was ok, but a single empanada for $6?? I've had way better empanadas from Lito's for $2.59 apiece. I went out on a limb and got this and won't be ordering this again.

    #68 Roast dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette - Best bacon wrapped dates EVER. Been recreated many times, but none better than these. For $5, sweet Jesus this could be my form of crack at that price. So good.

    #30 Spicy potatoes with tomato alioli - Glorified potato wedges? I had high expectations, a lot of rave reviews for these but I didn't think they were too special. Not spicy and were pretty much something I'd get from a breakfast diner. Plus, very filling.

    #32 Goat cheese baked in tomato sauce - I read a previous review from Jen B. that called this dish what it really is... deconstructed pizza. Very good for sharing with friends, but this is pretty much just a cheese spread with marinara sauce. I will say though, that this would be one damn good pizza.  

    The food came crazy fast. Additionally, if you fill out cards to join the Lettuce Entertain You email list, you get a free tapa. We each filled out a card and the server said he'd take off 2 tapas from our bill. Combined with the 4square deal, not bad!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/19/2012

    With as many reviews as this place has, there is not much to add.  I have been going here more than 20 years since they first opened in the 80's.  I don't go often anymore, there are now many more tapas places to choose from.  But it was the first one I knew of in Chicago, although i was probably going here fifteen years before I realized it was a lettuce entertain you restaurant.

    I have always had a good experience here.  The atmosphere is cozy and fun, never had any problems with reservations or service, and the food has always been good.  there have been things I did not like that much, but that is because I simply did not like it, not because of the way they prepared it.  And that is the real reason to go to a tapas restaurant.  To try small plates of new things you would not otherwise.

    I have only eaten here for dinner, so I cannot say how it is for lunch.  I typically order a couple of my favorite tapas and one or two new things I have never tried each time I go.  They now have some even smaller tasting tapas called pintxos, and if you are really hungry you can order the larger paella rice dish.  if you get the Paella, order it right away since it takes quite a while to get - and there is a minimum order of two, so if you really want to get this, make sure you are going with someone else that wants it also.

    I saw on a couple reviews that it was mentioned this was a "chick place" and not a good place to bring a date.  I do not see that at all.  I think this is a great place to bring a date or go for a special occasion.  I was even in here once for dinner during the NFL playoffs and was probably the only guy seated out of all the tables there.  But it certainly did not bother me at all.  And anyway, it seems to me that if there are a lot of women in a place that would indicate a date would probably really enjoy it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/6/2013

    We have dined at Ba-Ba-Reeba numerous times with various size groups and always enjoyed it. The atmosphere is fun and inviting--it's a great place to take your parents, your children, or a date. The food is pretty standard tapas--tortilla, patatas bravas, croquetas, garlic shrimp, calamari. While nothing stands out, the menu is full of crowd-pleasers. They have a nice sparkling wine which is better than the overly sweet sangria, and they also have some good beers. Cheers!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/28/2011

    I may have liked Ba Ba Reeba better than Cafe Iberico and I was told there was nothing better than Iberico!

    Patatas bravas are a pretty standard tapas, but the ones at Ba Ba Reeba are outstanding.  And they have a lot of fruity, fun sangria choices.  

    I can see how it gets crazy there and you'll definitely wait without a reservation, but we were lucky enough to sit in the patio room so it was a little quieter.  

    Can't wait to go back!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/20/2013
    1 check-in

    Excellent tapas. I had a passion fruit sangria with my Pintxos. Yummy!  I recommend the stuffed mushrooms with manchego and the potatoes with aioli.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/23/2012

    SO good! Went here with a group and return with any number of people. They had everything from perfectly seared sea scallops to a roasted potato dish I could eat 10 of in a sitting.

    They have Sangria on tap and many varieties. My favorite was the peach.

    My recommendations:

    Scallops
    Roasted potaotes
    Shrimp
    Goat cheese
    Meatballs
    EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/24/2013

    Came here about two weeks ago. Loved everything about the place. The ambiance stands out in particular, and the al fresco dining was inviting and pleasant for the summer. The sangrias are a must order, and even considering Ba-Ba-Reeba as a tapas restaurant everything we ordered was of a medium plate size and very reasonably priced. We had the wood roasted peppers, eggplant and tomato jarra, the sweet potato bravas with pomegranate alioli, the goat cheese in tomato sauce, the fried green peppers, the short ribs, and a few other things. I would recommend any of these.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/13/2013

    This Lettuce Entertain You place is a solidly good choice, which is quite obvious considering the perpetual crowds.  I have enjoyed the food more in my fast couple of visits than I have in the past.  Don't know if something has changed at the restaurant in the past year or so, or if I have just gotten lucky with ordering.  But anyway, their house-made bread is really good and all the brunch/tapas dishes I have tried recently have been very nice.  Most recently, my husband and I tried their tuna tartare special, which was seasoned with shoyu (soy sauce) and some thinly sliced red peppers, and served with potato chips.  Very tasty.  The bloody mary bar is really good.  Bloody maries are drinks that I haven't really enjoyed until recently.  It's both a blessing and a curse to be able to mix your own.  This place gets really crowded at dinner, so I enjoy going there at brunch.  The service is very friendly.  I recommend it as a good, reliable choice on the Lincoln Park stretch of Halsted.  It won't blow your mind necessarily, but it's a great place to get together with friends over some good food and beverages.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/21/2012

    We arrived here on a Wednesday night around 7:30 pm and the place was buzzing. I really liked the vibe of the place. There's a small patio out front, a bar area, and a long dining area. There definitely were a lot of choices on the menu to choose from. Our waiter's recommendations were all on our list of what we wanted to order.

    The red sangria was refreshing, but I'd like to try their white peach or raspberry sangria next time. Here's a quick breakdown on what we ate:

    Spicy potatoes with tomato aioli - This was super delicious. The potatoes seemed to be a bit carmelized.
    Spinach & manchego stuffed mushrooms - This came four to an order and tasted good.
    Goat cheese baked in tomato sauce - The sauce tasted great on the toasted bread.
    Shrimp with garlic - Must order. I scooped up all the leftover garlic and spread it over our bread.
    Fried calamari - Just ok.
    Beef tenderloin with blue cheese - The dish came with some chips, but overall, just average.
    Rioja braised short ribs - Super tender ribs over creamy mashed potatoes. Must order!
    Meatballs with sherry tomato sauce - The dish came with 6 good sized steaming hot meatballs. Very moist and would order again.
    Pork ribs, dry rubbed and sherry glazed - Not as tender as the short ribs, but good flavor to the glaze.

    Unfortunately, I didn't get try their paella, but it gives me more reason to come back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/3/2012

    Fab. U. Lus.
    I'd suggest:
    - The Pintxos platters.  (Something for everyone.)
    - #68  Roasted dates with bacon and apples.   (Eyes rolling backwards in ecstasy.)
    - #46  Scallopes with spaghetti shrimp and cranberries.  (Ooh la la.)

    A fun place with friends.  And the red sangria pulls it all together.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/9/2011

    My favorite part about this restaurant is the outside patio with lights adorning the beams above your head. It's just a really relaxing, cute atmosphere that makes it feel a little bit like you aren't in Chicago anymore.

    It's a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant so it's always very consistent as you would expect from a LEY spot.

    I find it slightly pricey for tapas, but the bacon wrapped dates from here are so scrumptious that I always play it safe and order two plates.

    My only disappointment here is the sangria. It doesn't taste fresh or strong and for what it costs, I would expect it to be both.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/9/2011
    7 check-ins

    Babareeeeeeeeeeba!

    Let me count the ways I adore this place. Yummy food, delicious sangria, AWESOME brunch, BLOODY MARY BAR, great atmosphere, perfect location, live music, pleasant staff, great "patio" area.

    I am never disappointed here. I usually go with a couple girlfriends to get some sangria (personally I like the regular old red sangria, but they have flavors too) and tapas and chat about life. It's always busy, but we don't mind because we just stalk people in the bar until they leave and take a table :-)
    It's quicker than waiting for a table. I like sitting in the bar area better anyway.

    My cousin rented the back room for her graduation party once which worked out really nice too!

    I have heard other places have way better food, but I love this place anyway and I like the food! The dates are delicious little nuggets of flavor and all the pinxtos are bites of heaven. Their happy hour can't be beat and if you want to try the place out - I recommend that.  

    This is definitely one of my go-to's on any given day.

  • 2.0 star rating
    6/2/2013
    1 check-in

    Expect a wait even with a reservation.  Food is completely mediocre.  A few of our dishes tasted like they were made days before and reheated.  Sangria was good and decently priced.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/8/2011
    1 check-in

    I can't believe I've never reviewed Ba Ba Reeba! I lived above/around the corner from it for 3 years, so naturally I would finally review it the week I move away from the 'hood!

    Bottom line, I haven't found better tapas in Chicago. Tons of flavor in every dish, reasonable prices, and a really fantastic atmosphere. The sangria is a little pricey in my opinion, hence one less star, but everything else is superb.  Great date, great for groups, great late night, they do it all!

    I've had lots of stuff there over the years, and they've changed their menu a little, but in general I'd recommend both potato dishes - a garlic potato salad and roasted ones with an alioli dipping sauce, the pintxos platter (especially if you are with only 2 people, since it lets you try 6 things), the escargot on garlic croutons (OMG), and all the empanadas.

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  • 3.0 star rating
    9/24/2010

    $25 gift certificate + desperately clinging to the last days of summer = an evening at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.

    Cleaning off my coffee table for the first time in months (that's what watching a marathon of "Hoarders" will do to you), I came across a gift certificate that was earned by attending the New Years Day Pajama Brunch at Ba-Ba-Reeba. Since it was expiring in November, I figured it was time to get off my duff and use it, and since I don't love sitting inside here and it was warm last night, my s.o and I made our way there to enjoy some tapas and sangria on their outdoor patio.

    He hadn't been there in years, and I hadn't been there since New Years, and to be honest, neither of us would have gone here if not for the weather and the lure of saving $25.

    To my surprise, this place still packs 'em in, despite tapas being rather passé. This was one of the first (if not the first) tapas places in the city (not sure if Café Iberico holds that distinction) and it's still going strong, so people obviously still go crazy for tapas. I can take 'em or leave 'em.

    We were lucky enough to snag one of the last remaining tables outside since we didn't have a reservation (which never occurred to me that I'd need) and our jovial server greeted us and we ordered a pitcher of red sangria while we decided what to order.

    Our server brought out our pitcher and asked us if we were on any time constraints so he could guide us accordingly and time our food. I thought that was a really nice touch and wonder why more servers aren't proactive. We actually had all the time in the world but we appreciated being asked nonetheless.

    The sangria, as always, is consistently good and refreshing. Appropriately sweet (but not cloying) and fruity, it went down faster than a $5 hooker.

    We selected a few tapas to get things going: ahi tuna poached in olive oil on avocado toast, baked goat cheese, and grilled calamari.

    The tuna arrived first, and instead of tuna it was covered with chopped cauliflower. We both dug around and could find no tuna. The server came over and we showed it to him and he apologized and took it away to be remade. Once it came back correctly, it was very good. In fact, the server brought us an extra order of it, which was nice. I loved the smear of avocado on the crusty bread.

    The goat cheese is exactly the same as every other tapas restaurant on the planet; nothing mind-blowing, but satisfying just the same.

    I didn't really care for the calamari as it was rubbery and chewy and didn't have enough "char" for my liking for being grilled.

    We were still hungry so we ordered a mushroom empanada and the sirloin with shiitakes, asparagus and potatoes. The empanada was huge for a tapas, but the crust was flaky and the filling was earthy and had notes of sherry; it was delicious. The sirloin didn't have much flavor, and it was cooked as ordered, but it was a tough cut of meat, so I'm not convinced it was sirloin. The accompanying vegetables were fine; the asparagus was a bit woody and tough, but the mushrooms and potatoes were decent, as was the sauce.

    By then we were appropriately full, so we declined dessert and lazily sat and finished our sangria, lamenting the end of summer.

    All in all, Ba-Ba-Reeba is a perfectly respectable place to dine if you enjoy tapas. The fare is consistent, if not entirely amazing, but you will most likely leave satisfied.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/14/2014

    I guess tapas just isn't my thing. This place sure didn't help as a "first time tapas place" for me. The portions they give are just an insult. I don't understand why pancakes are even on the menu when all you get is three quarter sized pancakes. That's not an exaggeration. And the waffle was literally half the size of an eggo waffle and cost $5. Three stars because waiter was nice. Zero stars for the joke sized servings.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/23/2010
    Listed in 76 Diversey

    I hadn't been here in years! The first time I think I was on a date and I hated it because it was loud and the guy was annoying and ate like a moron in public and I had to scream to make small talk and we sat outside and I was cold and sober.

    Fast Forward a few years:
    Came with a small group for a friends birthday dinner. Much better than the first time. Still loud but that just means it's OK for you and your friends to be loud too. I enjoyed every item I tasted (stuffed mushrooms and the goat cheese with tomato sauce being my standout favorites) and I especially enjoyed the sangria. Service was pretty good and the bill won't leave you clutching your heart from shock.

    I don't think it's the best idea for date night but great for a group gathering.

  • 2.0 star rating
    10/6/2010
    1 check-in
    Listed in Over Rated

    it's weird how everyone LOVES this place so much yet no one really knows why?
    I mean it's got a nice ambiance. If you want to be crushed and pushed around and have to scream all night, I can definitely see why you'd love coming here.
    Its not that I hate this place, I once ending up coming here 3x within a month. But it's just that I always come, eat, leave and forget everything about it! there is nothing memorable about the food here. The paella is mushy and filled with overcooked seafood. The dishes are small. Just...boring?
    Yes their menu is HUUUGE but I take that as more of a need to overcompensate rather than because they just have too many amazing dishes.
    Overall...ehhhhhh!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/13/2011
    1 check-in

    This place has been around forever...and for good reason. When you first walk in, you can feel the warm ambiance. It's as if you stepped into a different world and you're no longer in good-ol' Chicago. If you end up waiting for your table, which often times happens because of how busy it is... you can sit at their nice bar and have a drink. They also have their cured ham hanging from the ceiling- love it! Definitely adds to the ambiance.

    For starters, try their Sangria. I've had their regular red and whites in addition to peach and mango. Mango was GREAT- although it might only be offered occasionally as a special.

    Their menu is really great and the usual dishes I get are a mix of the following:

    Pintxos platter (several bite sized tapas, totally shareable with a group)
    Spicy Potato with Tomato alioli...Crisp, warm potatoes with a tad bit spicy tomato alioli... simple but absolutely delish
    Serrano ham and tomato bread
    Fried calamari, tomato crudo, jalapeno alioli
    Seared scallop with spinach, raisins, and pine nuts
    Roast dates with bacon and apple vinaigrette (absolute fav!)
    Wood oven roasted beef brisket... takes a bit of time but so tender and juicy.. mm
    Citrus cured salmon, cucumber, crema, and toast...LOVE the capers with it

    Other notes- great place for large groups. I've been here with groups of 20 people...10 people and 3 people... all good! Make reservations in advance.

    Also- when you check in to Ba-Ba-Reeba through Yelp, you will often times get a free dish.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/29/2013
    1 check-in

    Fun atmosphere, yummy food and delicious sangria! Recommend the passion fruit sangria, scallops and the butterscotch dessert. Will definitely return!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/7/2012
    2 check-ins

    Who in Chicago hasn't gone to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba? This is the go-to restaurant when your cupboards are bare, and your friends are calling. Another typical spanish tapas restaurant, but unlike most of these places, they also have a great paella sampling for 2 should you opt not to get tapas.

    DON'T bring a date here. This a 'chick night' restaurant. If you want intimate, this ain't your scene, and gentlemen - if you're smart, you'll send over a pitcher or two of sangria to the table of cuties you're eyeing. Cafe Ba-ba-reeba never has a shortage of chick tables.

    Order the Sangria for your table, and keep it coming. Don't be the girl that refuses to drink from the pitcher. You're not that pretentious sweetheart, just fall in line. Don't worry about your diet here either. There is nothing on this menu that is remotely healthy for you. You came for the atmosphere, remember?

    THE WORST - serrano ham, salchichon, chorizo & manchego. It was basically really fatty cold cuts with some olives. Not my scene.
    THE BEST - beef skewer, horseradish cream & red onions ... delicious

    I'd recommend getting these for the table too:
    grilled asparagus with manchego cheese
    spicy potatoes with tomato alioli
    goat cheese baked in tomato sauce
    ahi tuna, meyer lemon, olives, capers, tomato
    shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes
    scallops a la plancha, jamón ibérico vinaigrette
    beef tenderloin & blue cheese

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/25/2012

    This place is a really fun time for dinner. Sophisticated and trendy, not to mention delicious.

  • 2.0 star rating
    5/19/2013

    Not sure why a lot of my friends like this place. It's by far the worst tapas place I've been to in and outside of Chicago. I'd prefer Cafe Iberico, Emilio's, or Tapas Valencia any day over here.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/3/2013

    pretty good. trendy spot.

    they said the paella would take 45 minutes but im sure it took 15 - 20 which means that they had some pre-started.  which isnt a bad thing, but why say 45 ?

    all the dishes my co-worker recommended were good. go with numbers 30, 32, 50, 67.  

    oh and i dont eat dessert often but when i do ... i eat CHURROS!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/4/2011
    1 check-in

    Love this place.... tasty and pleasantly strong sangria, great goat cheese/tomato sauce/bread (is this even Spanish?  I lived there for a 6 months and never saw anything resembling this!), and other tapas...

    Good place to bring visitors or parents or a date!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/28/2011 Updated review
    6 check-ins

    I'm going to talk about two things that I love in this review: Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and Yelp.

    Let's begin with CBBR. The concept of tapas is foreign to many, and I was included in that many, but I've come to realize that sharing is caring. It doesn't hurt that with sharing you get to try a bunch of stuff, too!

    A meal at CBBR should begin with some sort of tasty beverage. Any of the sangrias are a great choice. But I'm a huge fan of the classic red and the mango sangrias [mango is a specialty].

    We know the food is amazing [I'm determined to try every single tapas on the menu]. And some of the best tapas on the menu include the goat cheese in tomato sauce, citrus-cured salmon [YUM!!], braised lamb with couscous, and plato de casa.

    But the fun doesn't stop there, kiddies! The pinxtos are definitely worth a shot at least once, especially if you get the platter for free by checking in on Yelp!! But if you're ordering singles, go for the ahi tuna or the short rib-stuffed poblano pepper.

    And it keeps going and going...with paella. Order paella right away, as it takes quite some time to make. So decide quickly! I'd say that the seafood paella is my least favorite, and either of the other two are about even. Ask if they're serving specialty paellas that day, too. You might get a secret surprise!!

    If by the end of your delicious meal you can manage it, go for the dulce de leche tres leches cake. A-MAZ-ING.

    On the real, if you haven't already, download the Yelp app for your iPhone/Android device. Checking into CBBR twice [I believe] will get you a free pinxto platter. Yep, $FREE.99 for a platter. I love me some Yelp, man.

    **Sign up for the CBBR txt club, too. They'll txt you deals for free stuff, unless you hate getting free stuff. Then skip it.

    5.0 star rating
    9/29/2010 Previous review
    I'll be honest, I was hesitant to eat at a tapas joint on the sole fact that I knew that I would be… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    6/17/2012
    2 check-ins

    Been here twice and have always had a great experience- service is friendly, not fast (but at tapas bar speed), the food is good, and the sangria is excellent. We had the omeletta (very good), chicken and beef empanadas (very good), the scallops (very good), the meat plate (good), meatballs (very good) and the stuffed mushrooms (OK). Also had the butterscotch dessert, which was small but excellent. Overall, a very pleasant dining experience.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/17/2013

    So, I've heard good things and I've heard ok things about this place. Today was my first time at BaBaReeba and I must say overall the food is pretty good. I've tried the spicy potatoes with tomato alioli which were delicious! Beef tenderloins & blue cheese were very good as well, nice and juicy, cooked perfectly. I wasn't a fan of the grilled squid though, it was rather rubbery. Chicken & ham croquetas were just ok, there was just nothing special about them. Their sangrias are supposed to be the bomb? I felt like ours was a little watered down..
    The waitress was super attentive and very knowledgable about the menu items. I would probably go there again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/24/2010 Updated review

    I came back to Ba-Ba-Reeba again, but this time I came with someone "in the know" and, more importantly, this time I was able to drink.  Our table shared a couple of pitchers of sangria, both red and white, and they were delicious.

    We had an array of tapas, but the one that stood out the most was the roja short ribs with manchego mashed potatoes.  Seriously yum!

    3.0 star rating
    4/21/2010 Previous review
    I came here for a friend's birthday dinner during Restaurant Week.  Double whammy!  To save the RW… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    7/9/2013
    1 check-in

    I am a returned customer and brought my fiance and sister to CBBR this time.  We all had a great time and enjoyed the food!  We will definitely come back soon.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/26/2012

    I really like ths place for groups!!  It's a great atmosphere and they have a lot of little plates that people can share.  There is a calamari dish on the menu that is to straight up die for and the goat cheese is always a solid pick!!

    Dan

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/2/2013

    I went here Friday night on a date. First of all I live in palatine which is about 40 min drive without traffic. Our server velibor was very personable and engaging . The sangria is always good and the food is amazing .

    Everything was great except for one thing and that one thing made a Huge difference from the last time I visited. My favorite item on the menu had been removed and needless to say I was highly disappointed and even upset . Item # 68 which is the pork ribs with the sherry glaze had been inexplicably taken off the menu . I don't know If there is someone sitting in an office somewhere making these decisions but whoever it is needs to rethink his/her decision . The pork ribs are BY FAR the Best item on the menu and the reason why I tell all my friends and family to visit the restaurant . I even told my date just wait til you have the last item ( saved the best for last ) when I realized it had been replace with a subpar choice . I asked to speak to a manager which is something I never do ( due to the fact that I work In the industry ), mike the manager came over and was very polite and professional and I appreciated his understanding . I would have given this restaurant 5 stars if it wasn't for this extremely poor choice of removing the pork ribs, but instead I only gave it 4. I truly hope someone at the corporation reads this and makes the decision to return this item back to the menu . I'm really hoping that the next time I visit cafe ba ba reeba I will not be disappointed once again.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/9/2013

    While visiting Chicago I stopped here with my brother my first night for dinner! We enjoyed a variety of tapas and some sangrias!! The food was very delicious and the staff was very nice!  Due to my first experience we returned my last night in Chicago!! Once again I had not one complaint!!! Next time I visit I will be sure to stop again!!

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/11/2011

    I really want to like this place; I'm not sure why, probably because I've read such great reviews and have a friend or two who continues to rave about the food. So I've been on more than one occasion, and I can finally say, you know what? I'm finished trying! It's time to trust my palate and move on to a new go-to tapas spot.

    (-) Really watery sangria
    (-) Tried the shrimp, scallops, green beans & tomatoes paella, and man oh man was it SALTY! My friend and I took a bite at the same time and made the same exact face of yechhh!
    (-) I won't list all the tapas I've tried, but I've had almost all of the recommended plus quite a few more, and have never been impressed. None were particularly bad, but none were good enough to remember or recommend.

    It's a fun atmosphere with a good variety of tapas, and they are very accommodating of large groups, as all tapas places should be. However, I am definitely ready to start exploring the many other tapas restaurants around Chicago!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/31/2013
    1 check-in

    Fantastic brunch!  Worth a short cab or train ride from the loop.  Wonderful tapas selections and service timing is superb.  Get out of your typical restaurant selections and give this place a try.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/20/2013
    5 check-ins

    Free paella

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/16/2013

    This was some of the best food I have ever ate. The Sangria was perfect also. We will make this a regular stop every time we are in the city.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/28/2012

    Probably my favorite place for tapas. Also a great place for drinks.

    As is typical with the Lettuce Entertain You group of restaurants, the service and overall feel is great.

    Definitely will visit again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/16/2012
    2 check-ins

    Spain is arguably my favorite country to visit in the world, and some of my fondest memories are of long summer evenings spent tapas-bar-hopping, sipping on vino tinto and noshing on pinxtos of the most incredible flavors, colors, and textures. Spain also has the Mediterranean Sea and its incredibly fresh seafood to draw on...we in Chicago are not quite so fortunate. All of this is a long way of saying that I'm usually satisfied at best with American renditions of tapas. While its impossible to recreate the history, culture, and (dare I say) magic of tapas in Basque country, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba does a more than passable translation right in the heart of Lincoln Park.

    I realize that this place is a bit of a scene, and while I'd normally opine more fully on the decor and service, I'm going to focus on food in this review which is the basis for the 4 stars I'm giving. Suffice it to say the service was efficient and the atmosphere lively, even on a Sunday evening. Here's what we tried:

    1. Chorizo-wrapped mejdool date & cheese: With good ingredients (which these were), this one is hard to mess up. Almost sweet & rich enough to have for desert, however, so consider saving for later in the meal even though this will likely be one of the first dishes out of the kitchen.

    2. short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper: an absolute knockout. Get more than 1.

    3. goat cheese, pistachio, mint and nispera preserves: sounded better than it was, which basically amounted to a goat cheese spread (could barely detect the mint or pistachio) with a very sweet fruit preserve on top. Wouldn't order again.

    4. salmon, celery root puree, kale chips & sea salt: not exactly your traditional tapas dish (last I checked, no salmon swimming around the Mediterranean), but delicious nevertheless. Salmon was perfectly cooked & seasoned, celery root puree was flavor & texture-wise spot on. Kale chips, though crispy and delicious, were not quite enough to add a textural contrast to the dish. Only a minor complaint, would definitely order again.

    5. octopus a la plancha, fingerling potatoes & olives: this is exactly the type of dish you'd expect to see as a hot tapas item in Spain, and CBBR executed this one perfectly.

    6. serrano ham, salchichon, chorizo & manchego: good but not great, and I say this mainly in comparison to the real deal (versus any other Chicago charcuterie, this dish totally stands up).

    Also had a pitcher of the traditional red wine sangria which was a bit sweet (read: not boozy enough) for my taste.

    All of this for $60 pre-tip and I felt like I had gotten away with at least a light misdemeanor. Dinner was last night and I'm ready to go back today. Hat's off Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/29/2013
    1 check-in

    Best Tapas in Chicago! There wasn't one item we ordered that I did not love. Service was great and our waiter was knowledgeable about the menu. Some of the outstanding plates for me were: goat cheese croqueta, bacon wrapped dates, paella valenciana and the butterscotch custard cream.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/15/2013
    1 check-in

    True traditional spanish style tapas. Great service, delicious sangrias served by the pitcher.  Definitely recommend the bacon wrapped dates, and baked goat cheese.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/2/2013

    After my cousin and her husband raved about it [even after they'd moved away from chicago] and the reviews from friends made it an easy choice to go check out.
    Went for happy hour with a friend and it was SO good.
    I WILL be back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/6/2012

    Friendly service. Easy to find parking during the afternoon on any day of the week.   Massive place with various sections w/ outdoor area.

    I normally come here for brunch/lunch only since the place doesn't get crowded and noise level is kept in check.

    I really like the whole tapas style. I get to try so many different type of foods in one sitting. Great for my mind and stomach but bad for my weight scale #.  

    I think I have tried everything on the Brunch menu. My favorite would be Egg Benedict #80, Rioja Braised short rib #51, potato/onion #29, and fried calamari #45. Those were amazing. Overall, I liked almost every single plate that I ordered.

    I tried the sangria here and yep I'm still not a fan of Sangria in general.  Suck for me. Sangria look quite perfect for hot summer day. I normally just stick to a  simple mimosa to go with the food and it's refreshing enough for me.

    Great place.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/17/2013 Updated review
    3 check-ins

    came back here a few weeks ago, and was happily surprised to see that the quality of the food was MUCH better than my last visit.  Tapas were brought out promptly and were hot, and the sangria, as always, was incredible.  Will be back.

    2.0 star rating
    11/11/2012 Previous review
    Was disappointed by my experience here this weekend.  I have been here several times, and each time,… Read more
  • 3.0 star rating
    11/11/2012

    Loved the food but had absolutely the worst service ever! Our waters didn't get refilled once. He never asked how the food was, he was no where to be found when we wanted to order more or when were finished and sat for over 30 minutes waiting to see him to ask for our check. Once we got our check it took another 15 minutes for him to pick up the credit card that was standing in the check presenter on the edge of the table.  The only reason he came over when he did was when another server noticed my boyfriend standing and putting on his jacket and brought it to the attention of our server who was standing with his back to us at the open kitchen counter area.

    I'm not exaggerating how bad the service was for a dinner for 2 we were there almost 2 1/2 hours on a Wednesday. The only reason I gave it 3 stars is because the food was really good.

    To top it off when we went to get the car from valet we waited outside for 10 mins thinking they were getting a car or something... Went in to check with the hostess, she said the same. Waited another 5-10 we went back inside because it was pretty cold and found the valet sitting watching soccer at the bar.

    Will probably go back eventually with hope to update this review.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/28/2012
    1 check-in

    I went here last Friday with 5 other people. We did not have a reservation, so we had to put our name on the list and the wait was about an hour. We sat at the bar and had Sangria while we waited.

    Tip: There are 2 different drinks menus, and they have a different beer selection. My husband likes IPAs and the first menu did not have it. He saw someone had Founder's Centennial IPA and asked if they served it and the waiter gave him the other menu.

    The food was very good - especially the proscuitto wrapped dates, the stuffed mushrooms, and the chicken empanada.

    We ordered about 15 different items and split them with everyone at our table. Total bill was about 140.

    They will provide gluten free bread at no additional charge!!!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/19/2013
    1 check-in

    oh. em. gee.

    From start to finish,every single bite was nothing but deliciousness. I must warn, it seems like a lot of dishes are cooked in oil, so if you value your heart, buyer beware. It's truly not crazy greasy at all, but if you're super cautious about what you eat, this would be my only concern.

    I digress. Seriously, though. I think that this is a must-try for everyone, once in their life. Awesome ambience. The outdoor patio with sunroof is gorgeous! Great ambience. Perfect for taking a date, or group of 4. I really wouldn't recommend more, otherwise you'd need to double up on your dishes- everything's so delicious, one bite is not enough.

    Here's what we got.
    *Scallops- absolute, hands down, best dish we tried! bacon bits and some greens. Just perfectly delectable.
    *Beef skewer with red onions and horseradish cream. I like horseradish cream, my sister doesn't. Tastes amazing whether you add the cream or not. perfect heartiness.
    *bacon wrapped dates- Great combo of bite-sized sweet and savory.
    *Squid with arugula- I'd ABSOLUTELY recommend this over the calamari. Although I haven't tried the calamari, it's a great alternative to fried squid. Beautiful texture, delicately grilled. Not chewy at all, and just tasted great.
    *Stuffed mushrooms with manchego and spinach- great for vegetarians and non-veggies alike! Best stuffed mushrooms I've had, I think.
    *Spicy potatoes with tomato aioli- perfect for filling up for fullness. couldn't stop snacking up on these! i was like, '"this would be great with fries!-- oh wait, I'm eating potatoes with em aren't I"

    for drinks, my sister and I ordred a pitcher of the black raspberry sangria. It's a creeper! can't even taste the alcohol and then it sneaks up on you. A 1/2 pitcher would have probably been good enough for the two of us, so I'd recommend the full pitcher for 4.

    I will definitely be back. with my boyfriend. with my parents. with out-of-towners. doesn't matter. Great place. A definite gem in chicago that's worth drivin out of my way for. (P.S. Make reservations)

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/20/2013

    Took my gf to this place for her birthday. Don't really like tapas but my gf does. This place lived up to its yelp expectations. She loved it and I liked it. (Not a fan of tapas but my gf say they were great). There selection of sangria is on point!! Def recommend this place for dates, group outings, family celebrations.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/7/2013

    A good restaurant for meeting people for dinner.  Paella was alright but the tapas were great!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/25/2014

    I could spend all day writing this review, but I'll try to keep it somewhat short.  My fiance (and now wife) decided on Cafe BBR for our short wedding ceremony and the reception.  At first I was very skeptical, but I have never seen a place with such a genuinely friendly, helpful, and fun-loving staff.  From the planner, Michelle, to the waiters and waitresses, the valet staff on site throughout the night, and the bartenders, I was amazed.  Out of the 125 people in attendance, 125 people loved the various tapas that my wife and I chose for the event.  Even one of our photographers, who came from downstate Illinois, is planning on having her birthday party at Cafe BBR as a result of how amazed she was by how organized and helpful the staff was and by how amazing the food tasted.  Everything about this place is spectacular, and I would 100% encourage anyone planning an event to consider Cafe BBR.  Even my picky wife agreed!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/16/2012

    Lincoln Park local tapas & paella place. Outside looks whatever. Inside is where it's at. Seats large groups of people and has a great feel. And the food? STOP IT. LIKE NOW. A+ ya digggg. PS everything on their menu that is highlighted in red, is the chef's favs. GET THEM ALL :)

    - about 5 pitchers of their yummiest red & peach sangrias
    - Bacon Wrapped Dates & Apples
    - Lamb Kebobs
    - Sweet Potatoes
    - Octopus
    - Bleu Cheese Beef brisket
    - Fried Calamari
    - Paella: SOSOOSOSOS GOOD.
    - & "All-the-above" 3 spreads: olive tapenade, goat cheese & pistachio/mint preserve, white bean purée with rosemary

    and the best part? All this and our bill was only $25 each? WHAT!!! Pretty cheap for a table of 7. MAHHH DUDE.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/15/2014

    Food was great, service was good, and the prices are reasonable. Would go back with a big group anytime.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/13/2012

    BA-BA-REEBA. Am I the only one who thinks of the YOBAGOYA episode of The League when they come here? Yes? Ok, cool. Glad that's out of the way.

    So tapas bars. Or as I like to call them, "Appetizers-R-Us." Generally, you're going to get the same experience at every one. You order the cheesy tomato sauce and pretend it's super fancy instead of deconstructed pizza. You order the something-cheese and potato croquettes and pretend it's not essentially fried cheese and french fries. And then you get a pitcher of sangria and pretend it's not the wine coolers you downed freshman year of college before walking around campus trying to find a frat party or morally bankrupt club bouncer.

    Hey, I like to pretend, too! It's way more fun than being a grown up. So in pretendland, tapas are a magic, mysterious food that makes you feel worldly.

    In reality, and especially for a vegetarian, tapas are just okay. They are excellent for sharing and make for a good argument in favor of splitting the check evenly. But I get a little sick from the carbs and cheese and grease and sugary sangria, so generally I reserve tapas experiences for when others insist on going there for birthdays or other big group outings. And in that limited realm where I'm likely going to have a good time anyway, I'm happy to do tapas.

    At least Ba-Ba-Reeba has a nice interior, assuming you like dead animal parts hanging above you at the bar and inconsistent floor levels begging you to trip. Our server was completely slammed yet managed to bring us our food right away. A little too right away, actually, as our small table was soon crammed with everything we order, almost all at once.

    So I guess I'm not totally blown away by B-B-R, but no less so than any other tapas bar I've been to. Adjusting for my own admittedly weird preferences, this place gets a three. If you like tapas, you'll probably like it. If not, call me and we'll order pizza and watch The League reruns.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 3.0 star rating
    12/10/2012

    The food was decent. The flavors are very out there so, you either love the tapas or hate them. The dates were gross(my boyfriend thinks is too strong of a word).  However, the tuna was the best we ever had. The portions are expensive and small.
    The decor is very attractive.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/1/2010

    Sunday late afternoon/early evening--5 minute wait for patio seating.
    Sangria and Tapas with the Hubs after day in the sun just screams perfect Hollywood-movie ending, doesn't it?

    The service from beginning to end and from hostess to server was friendly and attentive. Our server gave us her honest opinion with our questions and her dining suggestions were spot on--we really enjoyed our whole experience. We started with a 1/2 pitcher of sangria--which was just enough for the two of us. Fruity and refreshing with lots of bits of fruit throughout. I didn't need more ice, but I noticed there was one server that all he did was add ice to sangria glasses for the folks that wanted/needed more ice.

    We shared the Pinxto platter, the mixed greens with beets, oranges & goat cheese, the grilled sirloin with asparagus, shitakes & potato, and the grilled squid in olive oil.

    My highlights:
    The short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper (on the Pinxto platter) had a nice smoky flavor balanced by the mild pepper flavor. I also liked the Spanish cheese and quince (also on the Pinxto platter) just a very simple flavor of semi soft cheese and sweet quince. The salad was also very fresh and so light--I could have eaten the whole plate of salad by myself. The squid was very fresh and tasty--not at all rubbery, but I wished it was a bit hotter. By the time it arrived at the table it was lukewarm. The grilled sirloin was cooked to medium and delicious. The asparagus that came out was more like asparagus tips and there were definitely more potatoes than asparagus and shitake put together.

    I also now have a new favorite summer beer--Estrella Damm--which the Hubs swears I can find at Binny's. (hope so!) and can you guess--yes, it's very refreshing and light. Perfect with tapas!

    For dessert I had the coconut flan--I loved how all the deserts are small servings too! The flan was so smooth and creamy with a wonderful and subtle coconut flavor.

    Everyone on the patio seemed to be enjoying each other's company, lots of conversation and laughter.  Good for groups or a cozy date.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/31/2013

    Café Ba Ba Reeba is one of my favorite Chicago spots!  Fun atmosphere, great food. The short rib is fantastic, when they have it.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/12/2013
    1 check-in

    We enjoyed dinner and Sangria after a Steppenwolf Theatre performance. The service and food were both good, and the atmosphere was a lot of fun. It's a festive place for an enjoyable date night.

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/14/2012
    1 check-in

    The free dessert (coconut flan) with check-in via Yelp was nice.

    The wait was a while but we were seated at a bar table right away.  .  .  .  .  .
    ....
    ...
    Then we waited.
    .
    ..
    ...
    Then we got some water.
    ....
    .
    Finally the food motivator came by.  Since we knew what we wanted about 20 minutes ago, we placed our drink and food orders at the same time.  We got the drinks first, thank you, and the first round of tapas.  Then the second, third, and fourth, then the fifth was vacant in the winds.  

    Excuse me, sir (fifteen minutes later without a haw-ya-doin), we ordered "such n such" but didn't get it.

    Wasn't comp'ed.  The server was chatting it up with some friends at a nearby table.

    Meh.  I've experienced better.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/16/2013
    1 check-in

    Great brunch tapas! Patatas bravas with tomato aioli and a make your own Bloody Mary bar- definite crowd pleaser!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/26/2012
    1 check-in

    Bacon wrapped dates are the number one reason why I come to BaBaReeba but they have many other yummy qualities too (such as goat cheese croqueta, the scallops, beef empanada and I love the desserts there!!).  This is a perfect place for groups to share many dishes and drink their delicious sangria (the red is my fav!).  This is also a great brunch place especially when it is warm out and you can sit outside.  Do not walk in on a weekend without reservations.  This place is very popular!   I don't like how close you have to sit to other tables sometimes.  I feel like I can here and share in other people's conversations sometimes.  I have checked in here via Facebook twice and have gotten some type of free appetizer.  Who doesn't like free?  They were yummy too!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/23/2010

    Like Peter R, I should have written this review long ago. I haven't been to Chicago in two years and marking my return in a few months I decided I really need to update all my Chi-town reviews!

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is very understated and kind of elegant in its own way. Their menu is extensive, their sangria is delicious and the food is amazing (well priced as well!).

    I love the ambiance inside when its dark and mysterious and outside when the outdoors are nice and breezy. The wait staff is friendly and always willing at a moment's notice to explain more or less the whole menu down to itty bitty bits. Their ceviche's are very well flavored and the food comes out quickly. Their white sangrias tend to taste better IMO than their red ones but better is a relative word since they're ALL good.

    Short rib stuffed pepper is the way to go and the paella's are on my next hit list!

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/12/2013
    1 check-in

    Good Spot.  Really affordable.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/15/2010
    9 check-ins

    Let me start off by saying I've been here more times than I can remember.  This place is walking distance for me, and it's always reliable for two things:
    1. goat cheese with tomato sauce
    2. long waits

    There's a full bar area where you can wait for your name to be called, and when I say "full" bar, I don't mean it's a fully stocked bar (which it is, go ahead, get your signature drink, no worries), I mean it's usually packed and standing room only - I've never seen this place empty.

    As for their dishes, they are pretty good, not the best tapas I've ever had, but some of the best in the city, although I'm sure there's going to be disagreements amongst y'all about who makes the best what.  I say, go here, check them out, and decide what are the "must haves" for you here.

    Oh, and the desserts are pretty choice too.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/12/2013

    Fun place. Perfect place to have a party. Great food and sangria.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/20/2012
    1 check-in

    Very good tapas and good Spanish wine selection. The deep fried glazed pork ribs were terrific, as was the goat cheese in tomato sauce.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/10/2012

    Call your friends over to Ba-Ba-Reeba. Get a pitcher of sangria. Talk about life. EAT EAT EAT. Cheers to good people and good food. Get a pitcher of the PEACH sangria. and that's I want to spend my weekend night.
    Some of my favorite tapas:
    The grilled salmon with almond pesto
    Sweet potato bravas
    Scallops a la plancha
    Ahi tuna
    bacon and dates
    I don't typically eat beef, lamb, or pork.... but it seems like the short ribs were very popular among the meat-eating ones at my table.

    And of course, I love the sangria here.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/21/2012

    Best tapas place I've been!  Love it!

    Always busy but worth the wait.

    Empanadas are my fav!

    Must go!

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/28/2012

    Came for dinner on thursday for my mom's 50th and had a good dining experience. I recently came back from Spain and really had high expectations for the tapas and sangria. The cava sangria was AWESOME, I probably could have finished an entire pitcher. The pitchers are pricey and small so we had 1 glass between three of us, but we could have gotten one more glass out of it.  The menu is pretty extensive and the food was good. They have a full bar and if your reservation is at 7p don't expect to be seated a minute before that.
    Parking was very easy, but it was Thursday.
    Make sure you sit out on there patio, because it just so pretty.
    Our bill was about $80 for three of us with a pitcher of sangria and 7 different tapas that we shared.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/6/2012

    This place is A-MAZING! Had dinner here with my good friend Oscar last night, and we really went over-the-top. I let him do the ordering, and boy did he order some tasty dishes! I definitely rate it a notch better than Cafe Iberico and notches better than Emilio's, because of their variety of fusion dishes, cava sangria, and the ambiance was much nicer (better lighting too).

    Now, I'm no tapas connoisseur by any means, so I have no idea what constitutes as "traditional" tapas. However, I've gone to a few over the past few years, and I will say this has been my best experience at a tapas bar so far.

    Onto the food...I can't speak for the paella because we pretty much just stuck with tapas. I will say that we ordered a LOT of food, so I'll pretty much just review on the good (still a lot!).

    We began the meal with the pintxos platter. This was a great starter that comprised of:

    - chorizo-wrapped medjool date & cheese
    - ahi tuna poached in olive oil on avocado toast
    - goat cheese croqueta
    - short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper
    - padrón pepper, olive cream cheese & pimento
    - mushroom & rice croqueta

    The chorizo skewer had a very crispy texture, slightly sweet, and the cheese ended the whole bite very creamy and yummy! The piquillo pepper was very tasty--that shredded rib was like a mini-pot-roast-good. The padron pepper with cheese was also very good, nice and creamy with a shot of heat.

    Next, we ordered some seafood and meat. I must say, the grilled squid felt like it was missing something...it needed good squeeze of lemon. However, the ahi tuna with meyer lemon, olives, capers, and tomato was just AMAZING. It had a slightly crunchy exterior with a very juicy and flavorful raw interior..and I must say, I've never been much into olives and capers because they can really overpower a dish, but the combination was perfect. There was a good balance of saltiness and sweetness from the olives/capers and tomato and nothing too overpowering.

    The beef tenderloin and blue cheese had that same balance of texture as the ahi tuna, but the blue cheese added yet another nice creamy and salty component to the beef. Finally, we had empanadas, a beef and chicken. Both empanadas were cooked in a very puff-pastry-like dough that was very flaky and reminded me of a dessert. It was actually a very good end to the meal because of that dessert-like pastry. Most empanadas I've eaten are usually wrapped in kind of a pie-dough, which makes the exterior not much to bite into. However, this empanada was flaky and the shredded beef had that similar pot-roast taste that really brought the empanada so much flavor. Now, the chicken empanada had the same puff-pastry exterior, but the chicken wasn't as tasty as the beef. I guess I can say it was good, but it didn't *wow* me.

    Finally, I *must* talk about their cava sangria. It was my first time trying a cava sangria, and I was first wary to try it because my friend compared it to a bubbly champagne (I do NOT like champagne). However, it was far from champagne--a good thing. In fact, it had a fresh, crisp taste, and I didn't taste the alcohol unlike a red sangria I've had at other tapas restaurants. There were also apples in the sangria, which I found very refreshing. We ordered a pitcher of the cava sangria, and it didn't disappoint (though, after three glasses, it definitely hit the spot!).

    The ambiance is great for a nice date, girl's-night-out, and just a great meal with good company. Definitely a classy place, but without all of the pretension. The music wasn't too loud, but definitely on the loungy-side. The lighting was dimmed down, but there was enough lighting to enjoy and showcase the food (I really don't care for very dark restaurants..makes me feel like I'm in a dungeon). The service was also good, our waiter was attentive but not overpowering. I'm most definitely coming back, probably with my family and friends. Definitely going back for their sangria! =d

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/27/2013

    Went here for a surprise birthday party. The staff was very careful about getting everything right and were very friendly.  I should up about 20 minutes early and even though the table was ready, they would not seat us until a few more people were there. That was a bit frustrating.

    However, most of the food was delicious. The only plate that I did not enjoy was the apple and spinach salad that literally tasted like plain spinach with nothing else. Zero flavor.  Everything else we tried was great. We had the grilled asparagus, goat baked cheese in tomato sauce, roasted dates with bacon, natural chicken paella, beef tenderloin and blue cheese, meatballs with sherry tomato sauce, and deviled eggs. All of the sangria was great but my favorite was the berry sangria.

  • 1.0 star rating
    2/22/2014

    Really disappointed this morning.  It's the 22nd of Feb.  I called to make a reservation for March 8 for eight people.  Not 20 people, just 8.  I was told that they have very few tables that will host a large group and cant get in until 9:30.  What?  This place holds a ton of tables and I'm requesting 3 weeks out.  Is the demand for booking a full month in advance really there?    I asked if the ones they did have available were all currently booked and could not get a strait answer no matter how the question was asked.  My low review does not have anything to do with the food or the service.  I have eaten here many times (with groups of 8 or more) and actually have recommended this restaurant to many people traveling into the city.  My low review is that an attempt to help us make our reservation was not made at all and I could not get an answer on why (other than they dont have many group tables).  On to one of the other many other fabulous Tapas spots....Cafe,  you let me down. :(

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/25/2013

    This is the first place I've felt compelled to write a review. Terrific for a date night. Great pricing. High quality food. Terrific red sangria, not too sweet.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/20/2013

    Food is pretty good here. I hv come here several time and do enjoy it, but there are a couple of Tapas places in Chicago that are some much better.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/19/2010

    You can always rely on Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba to be a great destination for a special occasion. I won't go into too many details of the tapas, because I simply love them all. And the sangria is my favorite in the whole city - not only for the taste, but also the extra fun of fishing out the little pieces of fruit and eating them.

    Service is usually spot on, and the atmosphere makes it seem like a pretty cool place as well. Reservations recommended for any time of day.

    Price wise, sometimes it ends up being a little expensive, but it's always worth it.

    If put in a direct competition with my other favorite tapas place, Cafe Iberico, I'd go with Ba-Ba-Reeba every time. And that's saying a lot, because I love Iberico too.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/21/2012
    1 check-in

    On my first visit to Chicago, this was the first restaurant I got to visit. I was not disappointed.

    We had an 8pm reservation, but still had to wait 15 minutes for our table....which is  better than not having a reservation and waiting some obscene amount of time. The area seemed pretty busy, even for a Wednesday. So, I would strongly suggest reservations.

    Our waiter was great. We tried a couple tapas, and they were awesome. We ordered the seafood paella, and it was simply amazing. I may have peed my pants a little, it was so good. I may have almost ruptured my stomach from too much food, but it was all so good that I could not stop eating as leaving anything on your plate would have been nothing short of an abomination.

    Also, the peach sangria was the shizzle.

    This place is definitely on my list of places to visit whenever I find myself in Chicago (which will probably be on a more regular basis now).

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/6/2013

    Incredible experience.  We started off with some amazing bacon wrapped shrimp and every plate just kept getting better.  

    The white peach sangria is awesome... The best I've ever had.  

    The service was amazing.  Our waiter made some great recommendations.  The best plate... The short rib.  It is a must try.  For dessert, the flan is great and the butterscotch cream is to die for!  

    The atmosphere is lively and really cool.  I think we have found a new favorite in Chicago.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/7/2012

    Great place.  Great first date place because you don't have to worry about picking the wrong type of food...they have everything.  And it's all golden.

    Do yourself a favor and get the bacon-wrapped dates!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/24/2013
    1 check-in

    Fun place for a date night. I feel like tapas always invite more food sharing, conversation, and laughter into a meal. If only every meal were tapas style, then I could feel less like a pig when I eat off of my boyfriend's plate.

    Anywhoo, let's get to the meal! Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has a large interior, but that won't stop them from filling up ASAP. Make sure you make a recommendation a few days in advance at least, otherwise you'll be waiting for a while. But wait! Want to eat a bit early and get your food for cheaper? Try to sit at the bar at any time between 4-6. The tapas are significantly cheaper (I think $3). No idea about the drinks but I'm sure they still have specials.

    We chose to forgo sampling their famous sangrias, because med school sucks and you can't have any fun ever. Oh..wait....shoot, there I go rambling again. The food had it's pros and cons, and there were definitely more pros.

    Pros: Great service. Our waiter was super attentive, gave suggestions, and wasn't overbearing. Water was always filled. He told us that usually 2-3 tapas per person is enough. We unfortunately didn't listen and ordered 7. Fooood comaaa.

    The goat cheese, pistachio, mint, and orange preserve jarras with bread was absolutely to die for. Tangy soft goat cheese melded with the crunchiness of the pistachios and the sweetness of the preserves. Couldn't get enough of this! Unfortunately we had to because it was a tiny jar. Sad faces. Boyfriend loved the taste of the lamb kebabs and said they were delicious. The not so delicious part? Getting two two-inch kebabs for $9.

    More Pro than Con: The mushroom and sherry soup, the sweet potato bravas, spinach and manchego mushrooms, and goat cheese baked in tomato sauce were just alerady. The soup tasted similar to traditional mushroom soup that I could make myself, and there really was no "pop" of flavor.  The sweet potato bravas were just sweet potato fries served with some kind of aioli. It said it was pomegranate aioli, but that must have been the nectar of the gods as far as I'm concerned. It was sweet and tangy, and perfectly complemented the sweetness of the fries. It may have been balsamic aioli now that I think of it. The goat cheese baked in tomato sauce was literally just that. A round of goat cheese in a traditional tomato sauce. Not worth getting unless you want something to dip your bread it. Comes with pesto bread as well that were alright. The filling for the mushrooms was creamy and delicious. The mushrooms themselves weren't seasoned well at all. I found myself eating the inside and leaving the mushroom caps.

    The cons: The spicy potatoes with tomato aioli. The aioli was again delicious here and was definitely the star. The potatoes kind of tasted like homefries. They were on the well done side, so for those of you that don't like almost-burnt food, stay away (I happen to love it). What I didn't love about this dish was the MASSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL that was in the plate. You literally saw the red oil seeping out of the potatoes as you speared them on a fork. You know there's too much oil when an  INDIAN person is dabbing the food in an extra towel.

    I like and don't like the fact that the food comes out at different times. I like it because then the tables around you don't judge you for how much food you get, and you can work on things slowly and savor your food. I don't like it because of how awkward it is when one person has food and another doesn't. You can't really have them wait otherwise the food will get cold (or you can do what I did and just eat half of your boyfriend's order).

    Also, not a fan of the price. For the amount of food we got, portions could have been altered a bit. Will definitely come back for happy hour to try out the drinks and get cheaper appetizers. 7 tapas for 2 people ran us about $50 not including tip.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/19/2012

    Went for a bday breakfast; our orders were delivered to us staggered.  They forgot about the birthday boy's food.  We quietly told one of the managers.  

    Just looking to have his food cancelled from the total.  They went above and beyond and picked up the bill.  Very nice gesture on management's part.

    Food was excellent to begin with; french toast and waffle with berries was delicious.

    We will be back...

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/23/2010

    This place surprised me with it's delicious food! I am finding that all the Lettuce restaurants are pretty decent at what they do. My only gripe was the ham and chicken croquetas. I believe croquetas should be a food group, based on their delicious factor. These fell short.

    Here's what was delicious: grilled squid, goat cheese croquette, cold eggplant dish, salmon, broccoli dish, patatas bravas... and the ultimate crowd pleaser - the Cava sangria. Why have I never thought of sparkling Sangria before??

    We got the Pintxo sampler (free from my FourSquare check-in... what a nerd) and it was great. Everything on it was good, especially the goat cheese croquetas. You're going to want a few of those.

    The portions were also pretty generous. 2 a person with some Pintxos to start was plenty for us.

    Que pase una buen cena!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/26/2014

    This place is great.  Great food, great atmosphere.  Also have an impressive drink menu.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/14/2013
    1 check-in

    I'd never done Spanish tapas before, and was very glad this was my first experience! My roommate and I tried the goat cheese croqueta, patatas bravas, lamb kebabs, and a bread, cheese, and meat plate. Our favorite were the patatas bravas (amazing spicy aioli)!

    We arrived after 8pm on a weekday, and although it was crowded we were seated immediately. Overall it was expensive for the amount of food, but we enjoyed the atmosphere and had a good time!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/17/2010

    Ba-Ba-Reeba is the go-to place for many events in life: first dates, birthday dinners, dinners with girlfriends, and of course, parental unit visits.

    After explaining to my mother that I wasn't taking her to a TOPLESS restaurant (in her defense, Tapas sounds a lot like that through a somewhat distorted cell phone connection) my mom, sister, and bf set out for a Friday night din-din.

    With this many reviews, what else can one really say? Get the bacon wrapped dates, and the spicy potatoes, and the goat cheese. We also had a yummy chicken and artichoke paella that filled my belly right up. The food comes quickly and my sangria glass always finds a way of staying filled. I would advise getting their black raspberry sangria - I like sweet but it was even a little too sweet for my liking. Go with the traditional or the peach is really great too.

    Always a crowd pleaser.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/9/2013

    Really great tapas restaurant with a variety of food options. The roast dates wrapped in apple and bacon was awesome and you can't go wrong with the grilled asparagus with Manchego cheese!  Drinks were pretty good too. It definitely gets crowded, had to sit at the bar due to the wait.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/9/2013

    Yummm!! When you're ordering so many dishes as you do when at a tapas bar - you would think at least statistically 25% of the dishes mightn't meet your expectations. I must say Ba-Ba-Reeba just got everything as perfect as possible. All of their dips and sauces are just amazing and flavorful. We ordered stuffed mushrooms, skewers of chicken and Chorizo, shrimp in garlic sauce and many more. Everything was delightful! Don't miss the Sangria here!!

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/9/2012

    Well where should I begin...... Lets start with the good stuff first.

    The Food at Ba-Ba-Reeba is decent not the best Tapas and not the worst. Their Sangrias are very good and the service is usually very quick.

    Now for the not so good...... Cramped and over crowded, The floor when I visited last was so slippery it was like someone spread crisco on the floor. Its very loud and not conducive to normal conversation.

    The place to me is just ok, With the thousands of restaurant choices in the city this is a place that should be overlooked

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/5/2013
    1 check-in

    Very cute place, fun food, LARGE portions for a tapas restaurant. We liked everything we had- but did not love anything. I'd go here again to try more, though!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/22/2014

    Good selection of different types of foods, good wine and sangria list, need a few more brews.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/27/2012
    1 check-in

    I took my parents here last weekend, they had never heard of tapas style eating, so they were skeptical to say the least. We all loved almost everything we tried, the favorites were the goat cheese, chorizo-wrapped date, and the stuffed mushroom. The omelet was the most surprisingly delicious.
    The place was very busy, so a reservation is recommended. The only negative aspect was that our server was a bit on the brisk side (he was very busy though), and it was a little too cold for me in the back room. The price was very reasonable and the tapas came out with good timing. Overall a very good dining experience, especially for a family.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/17/2014

    Congratulations Lettuce Entertain You! You have won me back! My last yelp was regarding Stella Barra, in which I swore off LEY forever. However I was invited to Ba-ba-reeba by friends and I had the time of my life...of course the server, Meredith, was on top of it at all times, unlike the server at Stella. We were in a hurry because we had theatre tickets and she kept those tapas coming! Some were hit or miss, but the miss was due to personal taste, not because it was bad...there was NOTHING bad there! My favorites were the white sangria ( how can I get the recipe?) of which we had a pitcher and a half for four people. The shrimp loaded with garlic, the goat cheese with tomato sauce, the stuffed mushrooms, beef tips with blue cheese....it was all so delicious. Dessert was to die for...a beautiful flan, and a chocolate custard that was amazing. Thank you Meredith! You made our experience very pleasant!

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/14/2012

    The restaurant is always packed, there is always a wait for a table, and I don't understand why.

    The tapas lack authentic flavor.  The plates are unimaginative.  The sangria  is diluted and the wine menu is embarrassing.

    People always ask, "Is Ba ba Reeba better than Cafe Iberico?"  No,  it is not.  They are both successful, but not in the same league.  Cafe Iberico is authentic Spanish.  You can taste it in the plates and cocktails.  You can feel it when you walk in.  

    At ba-ba-reeba, you enjoy your food while B-96 type music plays in the background and sportscenter is on the televisions.  Its not authentic and feels like a tapas restaurant you would find in a mall.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/24/2012

    I cannot recommend Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba highly enough for a special occasion dinner! My boyfriend, mom and I went there for dinner on my birthday, which also happened to be the day my boyfriend proposed to me. Needless to say, we had a lot to celebrate. When we arrived, we told the host about the "Birthgagementday" and he sent over a complimentary round of champagne. Very nice!

    I wish I could remember our waiter's name because he was absolutely the best server I've had in years. His timing at our table was impeccable--neither too frequent or too late. He always arrived in time for our next order or question. He knew the menu well and gave us several good suggestions and was friendly without being overly familiar. He really helped make the dinner feel like a celebration.

    All the food was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and arrived at our table right on time. My mom daringly tried the grilled octopus and loved it! (as did I). The sangria was delicious and the smaller-sized desserts (like the champagne, also on the house) turned out to be perfectly portioned by virtue of having such rich flavor.

    We had an amazing night and are SO glad we chose Ba-Ba Reeba! As far as we're concerned, you cannot go wrong there.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/22/2012
    1 check-in

    Went here for my bday dinner bc of a recommendation from a gf. Loved this place! A little annoying that even with a reservation you probably have to wait at least 15 min on a weekend night. The food was delicious and we ordered wayyy too much. We got:
    1. The chorizo-wrapped medjool date & cheese- Delicious!
    2. The goat cheese Croqueta- Delicious
    3. The patatas bravas- Just okay
    4. The meatballs with sherry tomato sauce- Very yummy but wouldn't get it next time.
    5. The shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes- Delicious!
    6. The special that day which was mussels- Terrible the mussels tasted old and I actually had to send it back because it smelled so bad.

    The appetizer bread was delicious and is great when accompanying the tapas. Absolutely suggest the sangria. I had the black raspberry sangria which was the most delicious sangria I had ever had. Extremely refreshing and not too sweet. I would definitely be back because there were so many things we wanted to try still!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    8/26/2013
    2 check-ins

    Food is amazing! The only thing that upsets me is their portion control.  When I order anything, for example the potatoes, I am not sure if I am going to get a lot of them or a little.  It changes every time.  Most of the servers we have had have been good and the hostesses are always nice and friendly.  Defiantly recommend trying.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/7/2012

    My go-to tapas place in Chicago. I can honestly say Ive been here over 10 times in the past year. The staff is great, the service is good, the only complaint I have is the wait-but thats a good sign, right? We usually make reservations before we come here to avoid the long wait, or come during off hours, but sometimes we still end up waiting. Happy hour here is also wonderful- at the bar, $3 select tapas.

    Some of my favs:
    Goat cheese in tomato sauce
    Braised short ribs with mashed potatoes
    Sweet potato fries with pomegranate aioli
    shrimp in garlic oil
    calamari

    The sangria here is also delicious, not too much alcohol, but its refreshing on a hot summer day.

    The food does not come out all together. It comes out as it is made. I like this, but some people don't. Order a lot, and order a variety!

    I had the paella once. It was delicious. Tasted just like it did when I had it in Barcelona. It does take 45min - 1 hr to make ( I believe), so if you are ordering this, make sure you do it as soon as you are seated.

    During the weekends they have live music and flamenco dancers in the back room. Recently they also added an addition to the restaurant to make it larger. The ambiance is great, and the place is always a hot spot on the weekends.

    ANYTHING YOU ORDER HERE WILL BE GOOD. I recommend this place to everyone and have taken so many friends here.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/24/2012
    1 check-in

    Great place to chill over a few drinks and enjoy some delicious tapas. Went here with some friends for dinner and had a great time. I loved the Christmas lights hanging across the ceiling and the fact that you could see outside without actually being outside (aka mauled by bugs). Would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone.

    PS Bacon wrapped dates ftw.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/24/2013

    Ok service. Could be friendlier and faster. Even on weekdays when not too busy they are pretty slow for tapas place. Food is good.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/4/2013

    This place really is as good as it gets. They have built a solid reputation around variety and service. I have friends and family in town quite frequently and always take them here. They are super foodies and rave about it all the way back to New York etc...I prefer small portions so I appreciate being able to try a little bit of everything. The butterscotch dessert is to DIE for, this coming from a chocolate lover. With a plethora of sangria favorites, you're sure to keep everyone fully hydrated. Great spot for a date or large group.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/23/2013

    I love Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, the food is consistently great and the atmosphere is wonderful. This review is not for the restaurant it self, but more for there party planning and reception packages.

    We planned a wedding reception for 100-120 people and after looking all over the city for a fun space that would allow us to have the cocktail style party we wanted we settled on CBBR and we couldn't have been more happy with our decision!

    Ashley was amazing! She helped us with every portion of the party and she bent over backwards to do pretty much anything we asked for. We asked for a specific type of alcohol for a toast, which they don't keep on hand, three or four days before the reception and they not only ordered it, there was no extra charge above the bar package. They also kept the alcohol chilled exactly how we wanted it! They have one of the most reasonable bar packages out there! Everything went off without a hitch and someone was on hand all night providing excellent service!

    On the night of the reception Ashley was there to greet us and let us know that Johnny would be taking care of us that evening! They both did a wonderful job and we couldn't have been happier with the service!

    If you are looking for a very fun, lively place to have a cocktail party style reception I would highly recommend CBBR!

  • 2.0 star rating
    2/17/2012

    The most important thing I learned from my visit to Ba-Ba-Reeba is it's not wise for a huge athletic man with a big appetite to go to an over-priced tapas bar if you're footing the bill.

    I don't know if it's for the fact that I've had tapas while in Sevilla, Spain, or the food just simply isn't that good. But regardless, the experience underwhelmed. The plates were tiny, the prices for the actual dishes with subsistence were in the high range, the flavor diluted and un-authentic, and the sangrias tasted like the boxed stuff from Target.

    After a few drinks and numerous dishes to become slightly satisfied, the bill was in the mid hundreds and me and my date decided to call it a night.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/11/2013

    Everything tasted great.  I think it was little over priced but otherwise everything was awesome.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/30/2012

    SO....
        We went here for somewhere fun for our 10th anniversary and also brought along my wife's parents for their 38th anniversary.  We had a 9:30pm rez and arrived right on time.  The restaurant was hopping and there was still a huge wait to get in.  As busy as it was we got in 15 minutes later and sat at our table (getting dirty looks from people who had obviously been waiting for an hour).  This really isn't a normal anniversary type place (loud, busy, action packed), but we are not a normal couple so it worked.  The atmosphere was hopping and cool.  I liked the whole setup they had going on and the place is huge.  Bathrooms are meh but we really should not be spending too much time in them.

     So we sat and my wife and I ordered all of the pintxos, 4 tapas, and the spinach artichoke dip.  The in laws ordered 2 tapas and the seafood paella. Also Dessert pintxos to finish the night off.  

    The highlights:
    Service:
    Attentive, friendly and helpful
    Food:
    chorizo-wrapped medjool date & cheese: delicious salty, savory combo with nice creamy queso

    short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper:  the best of the pintxos.  melt in your mouth braised short rib in a perfectly roasted pepper.

    shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes:Perfectly cooked shrimp in  simple oil garlic.  Can you really go wrong with perfectly cooked shrimp?

    garlic potato salad: So unpretentious, but so pleasantly full-flavored

    Bread : Rustic, fresh, and abundant.

    Dessert Pintxos: Perfect end to an abundantly pleasing dining experience.  Ideal size, variety and not heavy and overwhelming.

    The meh:
    Not really a complaint but it really is loud....even for me who comes from one of the loudest families around.  Oh and I guess i should mention the poopers in here.

    The bad.
    N/A

    Overall a nice time to celebrate a great milestone.  My wife thoroughly enjoyed and can't wait to go back.  One of her top ten now.  Makes my top 50.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/9/2012

    Went here a few weeks ago after work with my sister.  Ordered a couple of tapas and a pitcher of the black raspberry sangria which was absolutely delicious.  The beef medallions were definitely the favorite and the chicken skewer and shrimp with garlic were good as well.

    Good atmosphere and friendly staff.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/26/2012
    1 check-in

    Delicious! For four adults, we ordered two different single bites (pintxos) per person, 8 tapas, and 2 portions of paella, and it was more than enough for us (had to pack up some of it)! Dishes came out one by one, in quick fashion. A new dish would come right when we just finished the previous one, which kept our taste buds active and our table uncluttered. Old plates were cleared quickly and there was a stack of clean tapas plates already on our table, so we could replenish them as needed. My faves were the deviled egg, garlic shrimp, short ribs and mashed potatoes, and spicy potatoes. I thought the paella could have been better. It was tasty, but the rice was a tad undercooked for my taste. We had to pack the rest of the paella up, and I thought it tasted better post-fact. The service was spot on, and the atmosphere was lively, warm and rustic. Would definitely come here again!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/10/2013

    Delicious tapas and sangrias!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/19/2010

    The only reason I gave one less star was because of the cramped space between tables. Oh, and if I didn't make a reservation ahead of time, I would have gotten a table an hour and a half later! But, sharing tapas with my friends was such a fun experience! As far as food goes, these are the ones that stuck out:

    1. ahi tuna, shaved vegetable salad
    2. escargot, garlic croutons, sherry alioli, and
    3. chicken, artichoke & spinach paella

    I didn't even try half the food on the menu! Will definitely be back! Best place for groups!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/7/2013
    1 check-in

    Nice place - coconut flan rocks !

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/17/2012

    I went on a date with my husband to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba recently. It was a very nice and satisfying night out.

    The service that we got from Tara was amazing.

    We ordered a pitcher of the passion fruit sangria, and later a 1/3 pitcher of the reg classic red sangria. I really love passionfruit, the flavor was great, not too sweet---but it tasted like it had barely any alcohol in there.

    We ordered the pintxo platter which was pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised by the tuna. We also got the individual portion of the valencia paella. It was ok but not my favorite. There were no crispy rice bits!! I was very disappointed by the potato salad. It was gross, very mayo-y and not garlic-y enough. The grilled chicken skewer with chickpea salad was great. The beef skewer with horseradish was tasty. The chicken empanada was good but under seasoned. The meatballs were delicious and the fried calamari was amazing....some of the most tender I've had.

    I love the dessert tapas menu. I want something sweet at the end of my meal, but don't have room for a full-sized dessert. We got the profiterole, blood orange (special) sorbet, and a little fruit cake. These were the perfect size/price for the end of the meal. I also got a coffee with my dessert.

    Our total was $135 with tax & tip. I really enjoyed my experience despite not loving every dish.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/4/2013
    1 check-in

    A very trusted friend of mine recommended I try Cafe ba-ba-reeba and he was 100% right about it!  The sangria, (specifically the passion fruit and the black raspberry), is amazing.  I like tapas style places, mostly because I can experience a little bit of everything they have to offer.  A few of my favorite dishes are; grilled green peppers, asparagus with manchego cheese,  and their grilled mushrooms.  I tried their chicken empanadas and did not like it at all!  If you are going there  on a weekend, definitely make a reservation, or get there before 8 pm or you will be waiting forever.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/17/2012
    1 check-in

    Awesome place to eat!  Great Tapas environment and fantastic food!  We had an awesome waitress who was extremely helpful and the food came out in such a timely matter.  We had the perfect time to digest our food before the next plates came out and by the time we were done we were just the right amount stuffed!

    We had a very large group of people, so our waitress was great about keep the sangria coming and making sure we had the right amount of food for our table.  Additionally, she was super knowledgeable about the menu and could tell use what tasted good and what went well with what.

    She was very upfront with us about the bill and the gratuity that was added and she was very helpful in the beginning, asking us if we were going to be splitting the checks and how we wanted to order food so we could have the best experience.

    Though the place is a bit crowded and can be hard to get around during busy nights, it's got a great atmosphere!

    I would definitely go again and get the sweet potatoes, the beef tenderloin with blue cheese, and the stuffed mushrooms!  So delicious!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/3/2013

    Went here for a late night dinner and wow it was packed and our server took quite long to get to our table. But once she got our orders in they just kept on coming! My personal favorite was the chicken curry salad! OMG that dish is absolutely to die for!!! Though we did wonder how Spanish the dish was.
    I wouldn't recommend the chicken and ham croquetas, they were a bit bland. All the other dishes we tried were really good! I definitely want to try the paellas next time!

    Oh and keep your phones or cameras or anything that's not water proof away from your water glass!!! The support staff will pour over your things and water ends up dripping onto your stuff!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/31/2013
    4 check-ins

    I have been here a number of times since relocating to Chicago. It keeps getting better and better, especially with large groups. The food, staff, and atmosphere are all amazing! Highly reccommend!

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/23/2012

    I discovered a new species of bird over the weekend- it's called the Plate Vulture. It's unique only to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and they become more aggressive at night. That was our group's joke of the night.

    We went early on Saturday and got a table at the bar. This place is packed and it is so overwhelming. Another classy touch is the 'announcements' that come throughout the night. The loudspeaker will call out one of the many people waiting around for a table. It's like going to The Rainforest Cafe 'Tarantula, party of 4'. It is LOUD in there. Why are people waiting for this place for so long?!

    Our food was fine. Between the 3 of us, we ordered a lot of food and we ate it all: seafood, steaks, cheeses, etc. I will say that I didn't feel the dishes were very Spanish inspired, but I would say few plates on the menu met that criteria. The sangria was weak. Our waitress told us that the black raspberry sangria was the most popular. Ok, so I ordered one. All I could taste was the black raspberry liquor. I don't think there was alcohol in it. I did not order another drink. The drink menu in itself was pretty weak.

    The Plate Vultures circled all night. Essentially, if there was an empty plate on the table they would swoop in and pick it up. Which is fine if the plate is empty, but there were a few occasions where we had to stop them from taking food we were still eating away. Do these guys get paid by the plate?! It was annoying. Also, when we were paying the bill, I was holding it up and discussing how to split it with my friends. One of the Plate Vultures came by and tried to reach past me (I was sitting by the wall). I told him I wasn't done with the bill as he tried to reach he hand between my face and the bill. Turns out he wasn't trying to take the bill, he was trying to reach the plate on the far side of the table. Really?! Could you not wait a few minutes until it is actually clear for you to pick it up? Did you need to shove your arm across my face? Did you really have to interrupt our conversation with my friends? Very unprofessional. We laughed about those birds all night.

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/6/2013
    1 check-in

    Came here for brunch with a group of friends and expected a much better experience. While it was a fun and energetic environment, the food and the service was not up to par.

    Food - Ordered a bunch of pintxos (waffle-battered chicken stick, potato & egg bite, deviled egg w/ bacon) as well as some tapas (sausage fried paella w/ poached egg and bacon mac n/cheese). While the waffled chicken stick was tasty, pretty much everything else we ordered was very bland. I was especially disappointed with the bacon mac n/cheese which was literally just two strips of bacon placed on a plate of watery mac n/cheese. The paella was also flavorless, and the rice was crusty and dry. Also, at least two individuals in our group had eggs that were under cooked which was surprising given the number of egg based items are on the menu (you'd think they could get that right).

    Service - Slow and disorganized. Instead of spreading out the courses, the Pintxos came out with other people's main dishes or tapas. Some items took much longer than others and some items had to be returned. Fairly disorganized.

    I've heard that dinner here is much better, but I'll probably wait a while before coming back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/30/2013

    This place is like a hidden gem. I just happened to stumble upon and I am so glad that I did. It's a lot bigger than it looks from the outside and it was very packed on a Saturday night which is to be expected. They told us it would be an hour and a half wait for a table for 2 without reservations but we could order food from the bar. We took the bar option obviously. Food was great, sangria was great and very inexpensive. I'd 100% come back. I'm only giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because I didn't get the full dining experience because we were at the bar, but all in all great restaurant.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/22/2013
    1 check-in

    This place is amazing. I highly recommend the garlic shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, and pork with blue cheese! The wait is usually long unless you make a reservation 3 weeks ahead of time for a weekend but it is definitely worth it

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/17/2012

    I have been coming to this place for about 9 years now. Food and service are very consistent. They do not change their menu very much. So I get bored of it every once in a while and go away for several months.

    Sangria is absolutely great. Their most popular dishes are all excellent. Atmosphere is very cool.

    After living in Chicago for almost a decade, there are very very few places that remained in my favorites throughout the years. This is one of them.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/31/2013

    My wife and I have probably eaten here more than any other restaurant in Chicago. The tapas are delicious and consistent. The service is almost always great (we had one less than perfect experience with a large group).  This place also appeals to all ages and is appropriate for many different occasions. Come with friends on Friday and Saturday nights, stop in for date night, stumble through the door after a Cubs game, even bring your parents here when they visit. Solid place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/30/2013

    Fantastic tapas, multitude of sangria options, and overall great vibe.  I will keep coming back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/15/2013
    1 check-in

    Fun place, great sangria!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/24/2012

    Equally good food as cafe ibrico - parking is a bit hassle.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/25/2014

    Love Ba-Ba-Reeba!!! The fried calamari, the bacon wrapped dates, the desserts, the shrimp in olive oil with sliced garlic. My mother and I go here all the time and are never disappointed. She loves the steak with blue cheese. They have a pretty large menu and there is something for everyone.  We have even had birthday parties here and the hospitality was on point! M-F they have happy hour specials 4pm-6pm for $1 & $3....super worth it!  Highly recomended! Oh and peach sangria...very nice!

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/13/2013
    1 check-in

    Great tapas as always. Solid and dependable

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/27/2013
    2 check-ins

    This is my all-time favorite party place! Birthday! New Year's Day pajama brunch! Never miss it! Best sangria and dates wrapped in bacon!

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/27/2013

    Had an area reserved for my husband's 30th birthday party which was so fun and the food was fantastic! I worked with Alison who is the party coordinator and she was very helpful and accommodating. We even had guests that showed up last minute and there was no hesitation with adding another spot for them. With this reservation I had chosen a prefixed menu and the best part was that if we wanted more of something it was okay to ask the waiters. We had a set of waiters just dedicated to us and they were very prompt and alert. Definitely will be returning!!! Cold curry chicken, calamari, vegetarian paella, and their marcona almond tart were AMAZING!!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/17/2010

    My first trip to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was about 10 years ago when my parents came up to visit me at college.  I've been back quite a few times over the years, and the quality has been consistently high on each visit.  

    If you're going on a weekend night, definitely make sure you have reservations.  There  have been a few times where I was in the area and thought about eating here, but the wait (as much as 2 hours in some cases) kept me away.  It's good, but not good enough to wait 2 hours :)

    If you're on a budget, check their website for specials.  If you eat at the bar during the right hours of the day, they have $3 tapas and $1 pintxos.

    I would also highly recommend coming here with a group instead of just one person.  You'll want to try lots of different things, but if it's just you and one other person, that gets expensive (and wasteful, since you probably won't be able to finish each tapa if you're getting quite a few).  My favorite way to do it is to get one of the paella selections and then lots of tapas that everyone can grab from.  

    Their beef tenderloin skewer is pretty amazing, too, if you prefer a meatier dining experience.  One former boyfriend described it as some of the best steak he'd ever eaten - and we had just come back from a trip to Texas, so that means something!

    Overall, this is a fun, not-too-fancy dining experience.  Good for a date, but better with a group or double date.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/13/2014
    1 check-in

    I live close to this place and forget how much I like it. The sangria is solid though not inexpensive. It's hard to go wrong with any of the small plates and I always love the paella. You can pace yourself here and order as much as you like and not feel like you're overdoing it. Brussels sprout salad was really unique. And the Moorish chicken was fabulous. Best empanadas in the hood. And those dates wrapped in bacon are to die for

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/20/2013

    I have eaten here many times in the past and the food is always delicious!
    This time my baby shower was hosted here in a private room that accommodated my 50 person party! I cannot express how friendly and accommodating the wait staff was, anything we needed, they provided! The food and drinks were brought out in a timely manor! This is a wonderful location for a private party, they are so flexible, make any changes to the room that you need and help you set up and clean up the room so fast!!

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/3/2012

    Peach sangria hit the spot. The pinxto platter was great. I definitely want to go back and try some more tapas.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/24/2012
    1 check-in
    Listed in Good for Groups

    Café Ba Ba Reba is a great spot to go with a group of friends and enjoy a bunch of different small plates and some great sangria.  Make sure you make a reservation because this place is always packed!  I think they even do a great bar deal for happy hour and late night diners.  My favorite things to order are the goat cheese and marinara sauce, the bacon wrapped dates, spicy potatoes and the beef tenderloin & blue cheese.  I like the red and white sangria - get a pitcher because it's worth it!  Café Ba Ba Reba is another great LEYE restaurant so if you're a member, bring your card and get those points.  Also, check-in on yelp... you will get a free dessert or something similar.  I've been here many times and will continue to go because I have never had a disappointing dish here.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/3/2012

    Foods great - Service is great - Sangria is amazing!

    And the best part is that it isn't toot pricy.

    Only negative is that it can be a long wait and pretty crowded.  Outdoor space is amazing in the summer although expect for a long wait.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/27/2012

    A bumbling American walks into a bustling Spanish tapas bar.....

    Aside from having to completely unlearn how to order off a menu, the transition into eating tapas was explained quickly by our server. If I were to make two recommendations that you will actually remember (in English) by the time you get there - get anything with goat cheese, and any of the potato dishes. This is only the second tapas restaurant I have been to, and the quality of food here far outweighs the first. My only complaint is the wait time on most of the dishes.

    Atmosphere: The store front is deceptively small. Once inside, you'll be surprised by the large tables, and the depth of the dining area (just try finding the restrooms). If you are looking for an intimate experience, ask that your recommendations are on the right/restaurant side, and not the indoor patio area.  

    Trying tapas dishes builds a unique sense of comradeship, and I would easily recommend this restaurant for any situation in which you fear uncomfortable silence: first date, family get-together, or in my case - the first sit-down between the significant other and parentals.

    P.S. Sangria helps.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/3/2010

    We went here after my nephew's college graduation and my expectations were pretty low.  I figured Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba would be another one of those cookie-cutter, corporate concept eateries that serves bland food made for the masses, with crappy service and no ambiance.  

    Boy was I wrong.

    We reserved a table for six through Open Table and arrived a bit early to find the place packed.  In itself that wasn't so impressive, because a lot of so-so places seem packet on Saturday nights these days.  We were seated in the outside patio and it was tight but not uncomfortable.  Everyone seemed to be having a great time and that made the ambiance festive and vibrant.  For the most part, the crowd looked pretty young (20's and 30's).

    First we tried a pitcher of their mango sangria.  It was VERY good and quickly got us into the mood to order several dishes that were all excellent.  Everything was seasoned and cooked perfectly, served quickly and tasted delicious. Despite the smaller sized portions, we all had plenty to sample and the variety made the meal interesting as well as tasty.  Soon we had another pitcher of their sangria (special of the day) and that was very refureshing and fruity.

    Service was attentive and friendly.

    Overall I give this restaurant 5 stars and even though it is a corporate, concept restaurant, I'm definitely a fan.  If they open one of these in LA, I'm there!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    2/24/2013

    Wonderful locale for girls night out. Sangria gives me a headache but if you like it then you will really like this place. My friends rave about the Sangria. I'll stick to my margarita. I love how you can really order one of everything on the menu here. It is fun to try a little bit of everything. It was also nice that they had veggie options which is not always easy in a tapas restaurant. If you are looking for a quiet evening, then this is not your space. This Cafe is energetic, loud and ready for a good time.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/11/2009

    Last night was my fourth enjoyable visit to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, and it was absolutely packed. We were seated within 5 minutes of our reservation time on a Saturday night. That gave us just enough time to order a huge "Hey, Kool-Aid" size pitcher of their excellent red sangria!

    This place is huge. They have tons of different seating areas, and the atmosphere is jovial and lively. Nice enough for a small group, a first date (witnessed one), or just catching up with friends while sharing small plates of food called Tapas and Pintxos (PEEN-chos).

    I actually used Yelp before my visit! Thank you, Yelpers! We ordered:

    -Bacon-Wrapped dates (very good, but better at Mercat a la planxa)
    -Patatas Bravas (do not skip this dish, perfectly seasoned red potatoes with a spicy dippin' mayonnaise)
    -Baked Goat cheese in tomato sauce (good)
    -Roasted Salmon with artichoke & confit (salmon was fresh and cooked perfectly)

    I also got one of the small Pintxos on special, and it was an herbed goat cheese with pears on a crostini. I could have eaten that all night!

    Did I mention we were having trouble polishing off a whole pitcher of sangria between two people? I mean, it tasted awesome and drinking is fun, but a 1/2 pitcher would have been plenty!

    For Dessert:
    -Carmelized banana, vanilla ice cream, with dusting of pistachios (excellent, and perfect size for a small price)

    Service was excellent all night, save for one time they put down a dish that wasn't ours. We immediately had them take it away. I loved how our many servers brought dishes out one at a time, pacing the meal, instead of serving it all at once. There wasn't room enough on our table for all of the food anyway. When we were finished with our food and just polishing off the sangria, they didn't rush us at all.

    My Lettuce Entertain You gift cards covered everything! Another enjoyable night at Ba-Ba-Reeba!

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/28/2011
    1 check-in

    I went there in a group. At first, they can't find a table to fit all of us ( 8 people) but after few mins they told us we can put tables together. I was "surprised" restaurant people didn't help us. They just told us we can sit in the area and told us help ourselves to put tables together to make our seat.
    But the waitress service was good overall.
    Food was ok. Some tapas are great but some are not that well...

    I checked in on Yelp and they offered us free dessert. It was so great! Definitely try~

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/9/2009 Updated review

    Tapas= Ick! Sharing lots of random food has never really appealed to me and usually leaves me with quite a stomach ache. However, if you must indulge in such tapas nonsense Cafe Ba-Be-Reeba is actually one of the better spots to do so.

    Some of the better things on the menu:
    Goat cheese
    Mini steaks topped with blue cheese
    Grilled Squad (worth mentioning that i was the only one at the table who seemed to enjoy this)
    Seafood Paella

    While there last weekend I decided to take it easy on the sangria since I would be running in a race early the next morning. However, my 1 glass of sangria soon turned into 5 glasses of sangria...so guess that's ok here too!

    The bathroom could use a bit of cleaning.  After standing in line for at least 10 min with nice women from kansas city, indianapolis, and st louis (Ba-Ba-Reeba seems to be quite the tourist destination) I snuck into the men's bathroom.  And yuck...boyz clean after yourselves!

    It is worth noting that the hubby (and no, he wasn't the one who messed up the bathroom) who hates tapas more than I do mentioned several times that our meal here was delicious.  I'm still anti tapas, but I'm pro Ba-Ba-Reeba.

    4.0 star rating
    2/5/2006 Previous review
    If I have my choice of cuisine I usually don't pick tapas (although I can't resist a glass of… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    3/8/2012
    9 check-ins

    Went to Ba Ba Reeba with a group of 8 on Wednesday night and it was the best large party dining experience I've ever had. The small plates and pitchers of sangria make it ideal for sharing.  Mango Sangria is now on special = so delicious.  I tried a few dishes that I haven't had in the past including the calamari and stuffed mushrooms, which are now my new favorites.  And as always, Patatas Bravas are a must.  Most of their meat dishes are also good I recommend short ribs, meatballs, and rib eye but would skip  chicken empanadas & the sausage tray (blagh).

    The staff is friendly & quick.  They are always willing to give suggestions and keep the tapas coming.  They refill waters and clear plates constantly.  We also were offered free desert for a birthday celebration, and I got my own dessert au gratis for checking in on Yelp!

    They also remodeled the patio style dining room which is now much cozier.  The room has exposed brick with sexy, dim lighting as well as a new updated restroom.  Be sure to make a reservation, no matter what your party size, because I have stopped in on a week night and had to wait a considerable amount of time for a table.  Best Tapas place in Chicago!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/17/2014
    1 check-in

    We were quickly able to get a table by the bar since we didn't have reservations. We were served quickly and the food was awesome! We will definitely be going back there. Plus you can get a coupon for a free dessert through Yelp!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/6/2012

    Yummy yummy yummy I have sangria in my tummy!!! I wanted to venture outside of having the typical red and white sangria so I got the white peach and passion fruit. It was delicious!!! I would HIGHLY recommend it for those of you who want to be semi-adventurous as well.

    As far as the tapas, they were delicious as well!!!! The ahi tuna and the scallops are to die for!!! And who knew a little plate of potatoes could fill you up...Considering I feel like a carbohydrate queen...HAHA!!!

    Anyone feeling like getting some sangria?

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/17/2010
    Listed in Chicago faves

    I've been here a total of three times and I swear, either the food gets tastier or I start to hone in on creating the perfect tapa-ordering scheme.

    I can say that I've probably had about half the things on the menu at Ba Ba Reeba...of those, I can't recall a dish that I just simply didn't like.

    My last time there was one of my last nights in Chicago and I ate myself silly. I remember trying to eat as many animals as I could that night...a tuna, a pig, a beef, a chicken, a lamb, you get the idea.

    Unfortunately they were out of the cold tuna salad so I had to cross one of those animals off my list.

    Highlights:
    The braised lamb with spinach, couscous and almonds is perfection. I think it's a great idea to combine lamb with the couscous and then something crunchy...so it doesn't get boring or too mushy. And the lamb did not taste game-y so that was a definite plus, it was seasoned just right.
    Patatas bravas are always a good idea. I seriously want to lick that dipping sauce off the plate.
    I've had the chicken and chorizo skewers twice...both times excellent.
    We did end up trying a new item on the menu, it was some kind of steak, can't remember what it was called, but the combination of flavors was fantastic.

    AND dessert! The waffle with fig gellato and fresh fruit is to die for, and I'm not even a sweets fanatic.

    All in all, a Chicago staple for tapas.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/17/2010

    Nearly 700 reviews later, there's little that can be said about Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba that hasn't been said here, or in other publications, or on television.

    However, I took this place with a grain of salt, coming here for a friend's birthday party. The waitstaff was great and very patient with a group on a busy, rainy Tuesday night (and if it's busy on a rainy Tuesday, imagine weekends here).

    Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed with the food and drinks. The sangria was very watered down, not worth the price of $20 per pitcher.

    The food itself wasn't as flavorful as other tapas places I've been to. I know this is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant now, but I still was underwhelmed for a place that has been spoken so highly of before.

    Beef skewer - huge amount of soggy onions, bland sauce and little portions of meat.

    Croquettes - why even bother; they're probably frozen.

    Squid - very good, but the sauce it was cooked in wasn't present at all. I tasted a lot of cooking grease instead, flowing off the fish like water.

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has probably jumped the proverbial shark. I enjoy far more the authenticity of Cafe Marbella in Jefferson Park, or the freshness of Cafe Iberico.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/17/2012

    I have been here many times over the last umpteen years and many times I have had the perfect evening and meal.

    Always friendly service and a nice balance of providing space but keeping us happy.

    The atmosphere is very unabrasive and although there is a general low din, there isn't anything that that feels prickly.  Very comfortable as far as music which seems to be along the chill sort of genre and pretty hip.  The light level is lower which again provides a little bit more of a relaxing atmosphere.

    This place specializes in three things.  First tapas, second Sangria, third paella.

    A few a my favorite Tapas.

    Bacon wrapped dates,
    Grilled scallops with spring onions,
    Baked goat cheese in a tomato sauce,
    Grilled octopus with some veg,
    Grilled asparagus,

    I really enjoy the Paella ( this is a cozy rice dish from Spain a believe served in a large flat pan that usually is flavored with various herbs n spices but includes saffron.but I do miss the days when they used to get the bottom of the pan just a bit to the crispy end of things which meant you had the nice contrasting textures.  The seafood Paella is my favorite.

    Various deserts...

    I have gone here also just to have a few drinks and the vibe is always friendly and fun.

    Cafe ba ba Reeba kicks ass!!!

    My employees love this place!

    :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/17/2012

    Hubby doesn't really love this place, but he goes anyways because I do love it. Plus, if he's honest, he'll admit he enjoys the sangria.

    I particularly like to order the roasted bacon wrapped dates and the beef tenderloin with blue cheese. Never gone wrong with either of those.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/1/2012

    Sometimes when I read reviews I am reminded that it must be something wrong with me, not everyone else, when I hold back from 5-starring a 5-starrer. I have been here a bunch of times though, and the average experience is usually (and consistently) very good. It's just not OMGWTF. But no tapas place in Chicago is for me.

    The food is solid, consistent, and good. Highlights: paella, stuffed mushrooms, spicy patatas bravas, costillas (short ribs), pincho de solomillo (beef skewers) etc. The wine flights are very mellow... they pick thin wines. We found their sangria to be weak. The real winner here is the dessert pinxtos. Single bite cake. Why not?

    This place is HUGE. The most cavernous of cavernous restaurants compared to others in the area. This is because it is Lettuce Entertain You, which is probably the reason for its slight meh-ness some nights. I am not sure if people know this. Normally people are such chain snobs that I'm surprised it's not pointed out more frequently here.

    Reservations are a pain in the A. They book up immediately but they take walk-ins, which means you may have had to fight for a res time that doesn't seem that busy. More likely though, it will be crowded as sh*t when you get here, even if it's a Tuesday at 9pm. This place is popular.

    I predict I will go from liking-a-lot to loving this place when they start doing summer outdoor service. All tapas are better outside. Close your eyes, think of Spain, and I can see the magic being there.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/17/2013
    1 check-in

    Yummy tapas, but the wait can be pretty long.  We got lucky and there was space for 2 at the back bar.  The bar tenders and servers were good too.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/30/2013

    I'm completely biased to this place as I've had so many great date nights with my fiance, group dinners with friends and even some great nights out with colleagues.  Frankly I could just order bacon wrapped dates, spicy potatoes and sangria and I would be in heaven.  Always try and order one different plate.  Sometimes its great and other times its not for me.  If you go with a group is not as expensive as some people think but two people with drinks can add up (well worth it though).

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/30/2013

    I LOVED THIS PLACE!!! I wanted to try everything on the menu, but sadly my stomach wouldn't allow it. Everything I did get was spot on, and service was great and fast. I will definitely be back to try more tapas (including dessert tapas) and their sangria, it looked soooo good.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/16/2012

    I absolutely adored Cafe BaBaReeba! We ate here this past Saturday evening for our 5 year anniversary and I was extremely impressed.

    We got there about half an hour before our reservation and the hostesses, in the most insincere way, greeted us and told us to have a seat in the bar. She said they would call us when they were ready. The demeanor and attitude of the hostess is the reason for the 4 star.

    We had a seat in the bar and were a bit confused at how they would know who we were and when to seat us. We ordered some cocktails and hung out in their very large, yet intimate, bar.

    Exactly a minute after our reservation time, they called us on a loud speaker to be seated. I was very impressed with the accuracy in timing here. Most restaurants are usually overbooked and even with reservations you can be stuck waiting more than 30 minutes sometimes.  However, we approached the hostess and told her they just called us and with a stank look and sassy attitude she just pointed to a co-worker. Manners people. Customer service is the number one rule in hospitality and the hostess is the first and last impression.

    Our server was around just enough and very friendly. We ordered a pitcher of Sangria and he refilled our glasses when they were low. I really actually loved this bc i did not feel like filling my own glass, i wanted to be papered.

    We ordered and loved:
    bacon wrapped dates
    pork ribs
    pork belly dip
    ginger salmon
    garlic shrimp
    stuffed mushrooms
    Mango Sangria!

    We ordered and did not like:
    the pinxto platter. A few good items, but i don't think its worth it

    I will definitely be a returning customer.

    Of course, when we left the Hostess just stared at us and didn't bother to say thank you or goodbye.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/20/2012

    I've been here a few times and every time it has been great.  This has become my go-to restaurant when I want some good food. I initially went because I had a Lettuce Entertain You gift card and this place was recommended by coworkers. If you use foursquare, they usually have deals going on for free items with checkin. We got a free pixtas platter which are tiny tapas items the first time we went.

    Usually my wife and I get about 6 different plates depending on the size of each. My favorite so far are the sweet potatoes which are AMAZING!!!  They usually come in a big order and are cut like fries but don't have the dryness or texture of fries. Instead they are kind of gooey and extremely delicious.  They also come with a dipping sauce that is unlike anything I have ever tasted, but still extremely good.  My other favorite there is the beef tenderloin plate. It is cooked perfectly and topped with blue cheese. Definitely try the sangria while you are there too, you won't be disappointed.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/17/2011
    1 check-in

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was our first meal in Chicago during our trip and it set the bar high for future dining experiences.

    Tapas could get pretty pricey for the amount of food you're served, but not here. i highly recommend eating at the bar for their happy hour specials (4-6 daily!)

    food:
    - bacon-wrapped dates: soooo good, can't go wrong with this (5-stars)
    - patatas bavas: big portion, good flavors, have had better elsewhere, but still a solid dish (4-stars)
    - chicken & ham croquettes: really well prepared, had a nice crust on the outside, yet the inside remained rich. highly recommended (5-stars)
    -gazpacho: meh, nothing to see here folks, move along. (1.5-stars)

    *note* we wanted to try the paella, but we were stuffed =(

    drinks:
    -a pitcher of passion sangria: the pitcher served around 6-7 glasses, great deal! the flavors were good (4-stars)
    -a sampling of the classic red and white peace: both were great, if i had to rank them from best to worse, i would choose: classic red, passion, white peach (although, none of them were bad)

    dessert:
    -banana: I'm always a sucker for banana desserts, the caramelization gave it a nice crisp to it, but overall it was ok (3-stars)
    -Cherry: chocolate and cherry is a classic combo, it was rich. (3-stars)
    -a sampling of the butterscotch: i really wish i had more than just a sample of this... the flavors were so good and not overly sweet. (4.5 stars)

    service here is great, our bartender (i forgot his name) was really personable and gave us really good recommendations on the menu and what Chicago has to offer. i can't say enough how much i enjoyed my dining experience at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/12/2012

    My girl loves ordering from here, but my first delivery experience will be my last.

    Everything we ordered came with the exact same sauce.

    Tenderloin was the tastiest that we ordered, bacon wrapped dates were actually MEH! And I thought everything with bacon was tasty.

    Although I love the idea of tapas being available via delivery, it didn't work out as well I as thought it would.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/20/2012
    1 check-in

    I have always loved this place ever since I was introduced by my cousin who worked there.  Best tapas in town and the passion fruit sangria is amazing.  I have been to several others tapas restaurants, and though they may have their strong points, I have turned many people in to BA-BA fans!

    It is busy on the weekends, but the bar has specials after 10PM.  They were very accommodating on my birthday, which was excellent with such a large group.

    I love returning and plan to as much as possible.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/7/2014

    Great dinning experience, along with great food. Try as much as you can, but leave room for desserts.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/24/2009

    My girlfriends and I started our night out at Ba-Ba-Reeba a few months ago. It was, quite possibly, the most fun dinner we've ever had. It really didn't have much to do with Ba-Ba-Reeba or the food, but it doesn't matter. That place will always be awesome to us!

    This place was pretty packed, even at 9:30 when we got there for dinner. We sat in the dining room and took advantage of the banquette seating (see below). Wine selection was pretty good. We enjoyed a few bottles of Pinot Noir over our small plates. Overall, a great meal. And not too expensive for the quality of food.

    What made the night so memorable was the fact that we sat right next to the most awkward first date. Ever. Some poor girl sat victim to terrible questions like, "What do you look for in a guy?" and "What's your take on creme brulee?" while the guy passionately presented his grocery lists of a) why he doesn't date and b) what he looks for in a woman. Yes, we eavesdropped. Yes, we might have taken a few pictures. And yes, we laughed when the guy had a tray of dirty plates dropped on his head. But we about lost it when he got a free dessert out of the deal and then high-fived his date. Classic!

    Thanks to the intimate setting, we were privy to one of the funniest meals on earth. Unfortunately it was at someone else's expense. Fortunately, I don't live in Chicago and don't ever have to run into that guy again.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/10/2012
    1 check-in

    Amazing service! Check in and get a free desert! Great food and great atmosphere. I totally recommend coming here with a group of friends

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/1/2012
    3 check-ins

    What do you do when your boyfriend leaves you up in North Chicago to live in real civilization (ie Lincoln Park) while you remain stuck by campus for a few more years? You wait impatiently for friday to come, hop on a train, and leave behind the suburbs like you're escaping a bad dream!

    My favorite place to chow down in the city? Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, of course!! Lincoln Park if full of amazing restaurants and mouth watering food, but Ba-Ba-Reeba is by far my favorite. I'll admit, I'm a tapas snob. I can't help but comparing every dish and every pitcher of sangria to what I ate/drank in Spain. Admittedly, tapas bars in America are all white-washed and made to appeal to the masses. Sure, you're not likely to see too many sardines on the menu (I'm assuming not many would order them anyway) but what they do make, they make very well. So well, in fact, that I have walked 20 minutes through snow to get there - I'm from California, so you know this is a big deal to me!

    So, if you like tapas or are looking for a nice introduction to them, Ba-Ba-Reeba gets my recommendation. The place is trendy, a bit crowded, and can be romantic if you want it to be ;) I won't make any specific menu recommendations because there is soooo much that is sooo good - just be a little bold and adventurous!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/8/2013

    Loved It! My girlfriend's favorite dinner when visiting Chicago - service was on the spot even though it was an incredibly busy night. Would recommend and return whenever in the area.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/17/2012

    Made reservations here for my friends birthday for about 8 people 3 weeks in advance and somehow they managed to mess it up. They connected two tables of  different sizes that can fit a max of 6 people. Also, did I mention they were of different sizes???After talking to the waiter, he changed our seating to an outdoor table. The service was ok, they might have been short staffed that saturday night, because it seemed forever to get the food, a refill, the check. We waited a good half an hour for our check.

    The food was pretty good!! Not as many selections as I expected :(  They have a large pork selection, so if you do not eat pork, might wanna go to Cafe Iberico

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/24/2011

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is a great place to go for tapas. I love the food and it's a great opportunity to share food with friends and family. I have been here multiple times and can't wait for the next time I go back. Some of my favorite dishes that are MUST HAVES are the Goat Cheese baked in Tomato Sauce, the Spicy Potatoes, the Beef Tenderloin & Blue Cheese and my 2 Favorites the Prime Ribeye and the Bacon Wrapped Dates. All the portions are small so make sure you order enough tapas to fill everyone up.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/3/2014

    I was absolutely blown away with this place! I had overlooked this restaurant because of the "cafe" in the name. However, I decided to try it based on a couple recommendations from friends. I'm so happy I did! They had a wide variety of small plates (vegetarian, meat, seafood) and different paella dishes. All of the waitstaff were very knowledgable of the food on the menu, and were able to make helpful recommendations. We tried about six different tapas and a paella, and we're not disappointed in the least! I'm not a huge spicy person, so I was nervous that since the food was Spanish it would be too spicy. I was glad that that wasn't the case. The portions are perfect, in that you get to try a variety of different dishes and not feel stuffed. If the food wasn't enough, the atmosphere was adorable inside. We sat in a room that simulated an outdoor square, with brick walls and strings of lights on the ceilings. Overall, great atmosphere, food, and service!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/3/2013

    Much like a junior high hook up, my first visit wasn't all that.  I went again in a larger group and it redeemed itself!  It was quite nice, fun and cost-effective sharing each others food/drinks/deserts.  Favorite was the lamb kebabs and stuffed mushrooms!

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/24/2012

    I had to find my receipt to remember what three of us had ordered:

    Chorizo Date: good
    Spicy Potato: excellent
    Goat Chz: good
    Crab Gratin: excellent
    Croquetas: my choice for #1
    House Plate: good, can't go wrong with meat & cheese
    Pintxo Platter: good, also can't go wrong
    Pitcher of red sangria: average

    It was busy on a Saturday night but thankfully the hostess saw some open seats at the bar and escorted us over. Then we indulged in a whirlwind of ordering and drinking.

    As an added bonus when I checked in on 4sq for my first time we received the Pintxo Platter comped which was really generous for a social network special.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/26/2010

    In all fairness, I will have to give this place another try.  I liked the decor and the staff was friendly enough, but the tapas, while some were nice, and fun, were not amazing.

    What we did like were the pinxtos - the tiny little bites so much like Italian cicchetti! They were fun, and the 'Special Pinxto' of the month? was very good, while a couple other were just "ok".

    Two main complaints:
    The patatas bravas were anything but bravas. They were not spicy at all, and this is just tragic!! My sister would be offended by them.

    Second complaint: The food came out at once - which gave my date and I no time to relax and meander through the small plates, or settle in for a romantic start to our Friday night.

    Probably a great place for a big group, but to me it felt like a 'get em in get em out' type of service, not a place to relax and enjoy the day as I had hoped (and had read a previous Yelper suggest).

    The bar area was definitely happening, and the happy hour food special is a neat idea.

    Oh well, maybe next time!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/10/2013
    5 check-ins

    I have been there twice, the food there is great! I love the garlic shrimp!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/24/2012

    I've been to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba twice and I can't wait for my third visit. There isn't an item on the menu that I've tried and didn't enjoy, except for perhaps the patatas bravas, which were a tad spicy for me but seem to be a popular item. My favorites: the citrus-cured salmon, the beef empanada, the rotating spanish artisinal cheese plate, the rioja-braised short ribs with mashed potatoes, and the goat cheese croqueta. The potato and onion omelette and the bacon-wrapped dates are pretty good, too. I hate ordering something off a menu that I've ordered before when there are appealing options I've yet to try, but I liked these items so much I think next time I go it will be a real battle of "get that again" vs. "explore the menu." I don't drink wine or sangria often but I did like both of the sangrias I tried here very much.

    They rotate items on and off the menu pretty frequently, which is a blessing and a curse. As excited as I am to try the goat cheese in tomato sauce dish that has appeared, there were several menu items I had enjoyed or mentally bookmarked to try later that are now gone. Bummer. Maybe they'll rotate back in someday?

    Despite being a little bit crowded/cramped, the atmosphere is nice here. Good date spot. The service is alright; it was a little slow on my 2nd visit but not enough for me to knock them a star. I could come back here again and again.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/11/2011

    How do you review a meal that is brought to you in segments of which the first half are outstanding, and the second set of dishes left much to be desired? It was odd - like the chef went home halfway through our dinner.
    This was not my first visit, however, it has been a few years since the last. There is something to be said about a place that has been in business as long as they have, that's still crowded and turning out good food.
    I would recommend a trip once if you've never been there.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/25/2010
    19 check-ins

    Dear lettuce, I think I love you. It's true. You make so many restaurants I love that work perfectly. Thanks for my unending happiness! :)

    So they had an au gratin sweet potato on special when I went. "this sounds good I guess. Let's try" omg was I wrong. Cuz it ROCKED!!! And the calamari? Ugghh so good. The potatas bravas there put the sauce on the side so you can use your discretion on if you want to douse or lightly coat. It's very delicious so I douse obvi but that's not everyones style so I appreciate the option :) ha. The goat cheese is amazing. One thing I was bummed abt is that I didn't get the spicy shrimp so ba-ba-reeba we got another date coming up!

    Oh yeah - sangria! Yummmyyyy!!

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/4/2012

    Being part of the "Lettuce Entertain You" group, they're a solid experience.

    I for one think their tapas are a bit dated. Tasty, but nothing inspiring. While I use to live down the road as I attended school, we would make this a spot to visit once every few months.

    We found the atmosphere, drinks, and overall environment are more the seller here. As I stated, the food is good, just nothing out of the ordinary for tapas. Service is nothing to complain about. Great for groups and even for a date (hopefully someone you've been dating cause it gets loud).

    Don't get the valet, it's Halstead, just search for 5 minutes and you'll find a spot.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/28/2013

    I have been to Cafe Babareeba many times now and I am never disappointed. Service, food and drinks always exceed my expectations! Out of all the tapas placed I have tried in Chicago I would recommend this one most. It is busy every night so definitely make a reservation! And while your waiting for your table grab a drink at the bar, its big and usually has some space for people waiting! Must trys are, the filet with blue cheese, potatoes bravas, and for dessert most definitely get the butterscotch. One of the best deserts I have had out to dinner!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/7/2011
    4 check-ins
    Listed in Top Restaurants

    Tapas are delish, every one delish! Makes my heart sing, and they have sangria...Okay, none of that rhymed, did it? Shut up, you're not the boss of me!

    Been here two times now, and both times first-rate tapas. And some really lovely sangrias. The bacon wrapped dates taste almost like breakfast (sweet, salty and so nice); also they had hot cheese things that were breaded and oozy good. The fried calamari was nice and grease-less.  And the potatoes bravas are slammin'.  But the shrimp in garlic and olive oil is my favorite. I wanted to fill up a bathtub and set it in front of the TV so I could eat and watch Law and Order!

    The sangrias are a bit deceptive.  I downed one blackberry sangria, thinking it had no alcohol in it. Halfway through the second one I realized the error of my ways. I had to take a minute and drink lots of water.

    Servers are nice albeit a bit slow. We were told that something was on its way and it took another 10 minutes. Um, that's not really "on its way" mister. Finally, nice vibe in the restaurant, but that is one loud space. Be prepared to yell at your date.  

    I have a special place in my heart for this place since I had my post-interview dinner here (I got the job!). So eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow, you might be stuck eating bad food!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/29/2011

    This place was pretty darn good. I've been here once before, but recently went with a couple of my cousins. Lucky for me (and everyone else), my cousin Lindsay's husband was ill, but still provided the gift cards that covered dinner... thanks dude! And...  I hope you feel better.

    On to the food... Patatas bravas is a must. Braised short ribs were fall off the bone delicious. Goat cheese is always good. The shrimp was solid. Green peppers were actually really tasty... watch out for the big red one, it's HOT (according to Jenny!) I also tried octopus for the first time... actually pretty decent. The paella was OK... nothing to rave about. I'd personally stick to the tapas.

    We got a whole bunch of desserts, they were all good.

    To top it all off, I got to tell  the story of me dropping a water glass that cut my toe in Venice and subsequently taking a water ambulance to the hospital that was one block away... jeeez. Why did I tell this embarrassing story? Because an entire glass of water slipped out of my hand spilling all over the place... yes, the pomegranate sangria did it's job.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/12/2013

    I am from Spain, which means I am very picky when it comes to tapas. This is not food just like in Spain, but you're never going to find that here just because the ingredients you buy in the states are not exactly the same. However, this was good! I always get very excited when I find a spanish restaurant that actually makes me feel almost like home :)

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    8/21/2009

    Cafe Iberico sucks.  Go to Ba-Ba-Reeba instead.  

    My favorites:
    Garlic shrimp with red pepper flakes (the bread on the table is awesome in the oil when you're done)
    Stuffed mushrooms
    Chicken and chorizo
    Beef skewers with horseradish sauce
    Red sangria

    This place is great for groups.  Everyone picks a plate... you pass it around.  I went there for my bachelorette party with 10 girls and they were really good to us.  

    You gotta have a reservation.  Otherwise, you'll wait 2 hours for a table... and that place turns into a zoo.  Be prompt too... once I was 20 minutes late for a reservation and they wouldn't honor it.

  • 2.0 star rating
    9/24/2011

    This was an interesting one.  I think Cafe BaBaReeba has to be one of the MOST well known and most talked about tapas restaurants in all of Chicago.  Not to mention the legit location right in the middle of Lincoln Park.

    The restaurant squarely reminded me of a famous saying:  'The surest way to fail is to try and please everybody'.  I think that at some point this place jumped the shark from neighborhood 'take it or leave it' tapas spot to tourist destination with the prime goal of turning tables and serving middle of the road fare.  It's unfortunate but this place felt devoid of passion.  It reminded me of a greektown restaurant that can seat 900 people per night and never goes out of their way to step out of the ordinary less you displease the masses.  From the host staff, to the bar, to the waiter, to the menu the place just screamed 'you should've seen how awesome this place was when no one cared about it'.

    After saying all of this...I must admit:  This place was good.  The dishes, while predictable, were well executed.  The cheese plate was fantastic, and served with a good marmalade and fig paste.  They served 3 cheeses which were soft, medium and hard, which I appreciated.  The 'patatas bravas' were good, although the sauce being served on the side was another nod to trying to please everybody.  Sorry, but if you order patatas bravas and then complain the sauce was too spicy then you fail as a human being ordering this dish.  If I was that chef I would tell everybody to pound sand before I started serving sauce on the side for a dish like this.  

    The mains were fine as well.  Octopus was chargrilled to perfection and the shrimp, while small, came in a great sauce of chili, garlic, red pepper and olive oil.  The steak was satisfactory, but the accompanying 'heirloom tomato sauce' tasted like Italian spaghetti sauce.

    A word about the atmosphere:  You will feel gay if you go here without a woman in tow.  Not that it's a bad thing...but you will feel that way.  This place has two types of clientele:  18 chicks out with all their girlfriends, and awkward first dates.  This makes for fun people watching, but a pretty weird atmosphere.

    I would not go out of my way to go to this tapas factory again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/21/2013

    The tapas at Cafe Ba-ba-reeba are delicious!! Some of the tapas are pretty typical that I have had at other restaurants such as the bacon wrapped dates. (Always a great choice!)  There is a wide selection that I have not tried and was very excited.  It's pretty hard to decide on a favorite, but if you like seafood I suggest trying the Citrus-Cured Salmon, Cucumber, Crema & Toast. My mouth is salivating as I re-imagine this dish. Although I love the food, the service was just okay.  The restaurant is on the louder side & our server spoke so slowly and quietly that we couldn't hear her at all.  As always I suggest tapas restaurants for groups of people so you can taste a little bit of everything.  I would like to come back to try the paella! Definitely a fan of Cafe Ba-ba-reeba!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/20/2011

    I love Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  I've been to other tapas restaurants, many of which were described by friends as 'the best,' but this one still remains my favorite.  It has a very extensive menu of tapas and everything is generally well executed.  Because of this, I swear I've ended up here more than any other restaurant in Chicago (tapas or otherwise) because people always want to go.

    Because of my frequent visits I've tried a good many items on the menu.  All have been spectacular, with the exception of the fried green peppers with coarse salt.  They are literally JUST fried medium hot peppers and pretty boring.  My favorites include the goat cheese croqueta (delicious, delicious molten goat cheese with some candied orange or confit orange on top), the rioja braised short ribs (so irresistibly tender), the escargot toasts, and of course, the bacon wrapped dates.  The portions also seem reasonable for the price and I generally walk away full.

    Also fantastic are the sangrias.  I think by this point I've tried every one on the menu including many of the specials.  (I just had the pear which was crisp, refreshing, and sweet.)  They are delicious and the pack a good punch, while not being overly boozy or strong.

    My only complaint is the inconsistent service.  It's generally good in the restaurant, but if you eat at the bar to avoid the wait be warned.  The bartenders are a little forgetful and sometimes orders mysteriously don't get put in.  I've also had a bartender leave at the end of the shift without really transitioning us over to anyone else or letting us know he was going to be gone.  I don't expect as good a service experience at the bar, but I DO expect my orders to be remembered and somewhat timely service.

    A couple of tips:

    -This place always seems to have a wait even on a Monday night so I'd highly recommend reservations.  It also means that I wouldn't recommend meeting here for a drink at the bar (i.e. on a date) around dinner time because it's packed with people waiting for tables on any night and pretty loud.

    -If you're looking for a deal, they do offer happy hour specials ($1 and $3 dishes) at the bar with less expensive deals on some of their most popular dishes.  However, the portion sizes are also small to match so if you're eating a lot, I'm not sure how much of a deal they really are.  A few of my faves are also not on this menu so I end up ordering from the regular menu.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/19/2013
    1 check-in

    Best tapas spot in town. The patatas bravas as usual did not disappoint. The aioli dip was amazing. The special of the month was the pomegranate sangria which was delish...for desert, we tried a trio of chocolate truffle, butterscotch pudding and caramelized banana. The chocolate truffle wasn't the best but the other two were to die for.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/6/2012

    This place is sweet!

    I love a good time while eating and this spot is def a good time. You will want to bring some money and an appetite because everything on the menu is great.. and it does cost some loot.

    The place is usually crowed which is one of the only downsides.. but good for them!

    We sat in the bar and the table was not very big so it was a bit of a challenge to get all the dozen tapas plates on the table at once.. but we ate them fast so no worries there!

    The sangria is great.. we tried a few different types and left feeling full and in the clouds..

    Fun for groups, romance, and a good quality foodesborg celebration!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/5/2013

    It is a great date night experience. There is a variety of plates to choose from. Between the Spanish ambiance and Sangria, you can't go wrong.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/2/2010

    White peach sangria. Loved it. (They have other flavors too! A nice change from the usual red or white options)

    I always order the octopus and potatoes dish. I think I like Cafe Iberico's version more, but the two are a little different. Ba-Ba-Reeba makes theirs with green onions and tomatoes; Iberico uses fries for potatoes.

    We also got the shrimp and crab dip. Yum. It was probably my favorite dish of the night. It was creamy but in a good way.

    The spinach and manchego stuffed mushrooms were yummy too. I think spinach and mushrooms go well together, don't you?

    We also ordered the beef skewers with horseradish and red onions. This was okay. I remember liking it the first time I came here (yesterday was my third), but somehow I didn't enjoy it as much last night. I think I was too full.

    Overall, a great time. It was the first time I actually sat down at a table last night. The past two times that I've been here, the host told me that the wait would be almost an hour and so my friend and I would usually head over to the bar to see if there was an open spot.

  • 2.0 star rating
    12/26/2011

    Came here for the  vegetarian options and the supposed "amazing" sangria.

    First off, service was not that great. The waitress hardly came by our table, and we had to flag her down multiple times to order more tapas and rounds of sangria. This was a Wednesday night. The restaurant was bustling but it wasn't what I would describe as being very busy.

    Second, the sangria. NOT great. I'm not sure if the bar got our order wrong and gave us fruit punch instead. It was so weak we had to ask them to make it stronger. We tried two varieties and walked out with barely a buzz.

    Judging this place solely on these two factors, I would not return or recommend this place to my friends. I will send them down to Cafe Iberico to try the deliciousness of their Sangria.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/9/2012
    8 check-ins

    I'm not a huge sangria fan but I must say, I really enjoy it here!  It's pretty much the only place where I'll drink sangria.

    Overall the atmosphere is one of the best features of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  It's extremely lively and fun for a either a group or a date.  Just make sure you have a reservation or just expect long wait times.

    I haven't had anything I disliked here!  I've been with a few vegetarians and there are plenty of options to keep picky eaters satisfied.  It's a great go-to for me if we are at a loss for a place to go.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/19/2011
    1 check-in

    Who doesn't love tapas and sangria? I mean really.

    I had zero issues with this place - the food was very good. I was with a group of 5 so I really don't even remember what we ordered. Definitely way too many tapas and a 2 serving order of the chicken paella (REALLY frickin' good) and a pitcher of sangria. Our server was pretty awesome too, and I loved how we could order a couple tapas at a time so to not get food overload by getting them all at once. The sangria was top notch too - I won the "who can refill her glass the most" contest. Hehe. Tapas are generally on the pricey side, but all said and done we split the bill evenly and I didn't feel ripped off at all! Unfortunately, I was only visiting Chicago so I can't really go back regularly, but I definitely recommend this place!

    (By the way, it's HUGE inside! Decor is pretty sweet too. Just go. Drink fruity wine and saucy spanish cheeses).

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/27/2012

    I know, I know this place doesnt need any more reviews added to the extremely long list. But, I had such a great time here that I just had to post.

    Recently moved to the neighborhood, and this is the first place that almost every single person we met recommended. Made a reservation for a Friday night when we had friends visiting. It was super crowded and loud by the bar, but we were sat within minutes.

    SO MUCH FOOD. Everything we ordered was delicious and we enjoyed trying a lot of new things. Our server was very knowledgable and gave great recommendations. The sangria on tap was fun and tasty, but I almost liked my date's mixed specialty cocktail better (it was stronger!).

    This review should be more like 4.5 stars. My only issue was that the food was coming out too fast and we did not have enough room on our small table, so I felt rushed.

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/28/2011
    1 check-in

    I would like to say that I had high expectations for this place when I first heard of it. Unfortunately the evening turned out OK - if that. Our waiter took FOREVER to recognize us, and never really checked on us throughout the meal. We ordered cava sangria which was pretty good but came with WAY too much ice. We barely got 4 glasses out of it.
    The tapas came pretty quickly, but the lamb was just gross. Too much marble, the sauce overpowered. On the other hang the spicy potatoes rule!!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/17/2013

    I had never been to a Spanish tapas restaurant before Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, but I was immediately blown away. The food was spectacular, the service was fantastic, and the atmosphere there was wonderful. I loved eating my food with my family while listening to great Spanish music. It was a ton of fun sharing dinner with the entire family! It's a little pricey, but so worth it.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/25/2011
    1 check-in

    Overall, a pretty good tapas place.  Tasty, but none of the tapas amazed me. If you check-in here through yelp, you get a free paella of your choice (1 person serving).  We ordered the paella de mariscos for the table + same one for the free version.  Surprisingly, the free one tasted better (the rice had more flavor & had a slight char to it..yum). vs. the larger paella was soggier.  

    Some of the better tapas: rioja braised short ribs w/ mashed potatoes (favorite of the night), spicy potatoes with tomato alioli, grilled squid with olive oil & garlic

    Tapas to skip: warm potato & onion omelette (very plain...not that tasty)

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/2/2012

    This place is always a hit... never a miss!  

    My boyfriend and I were using the Chicago magazine brunch issue to navigate our way around the brunch scene in the city and they recommended Ba-ba-reba.  I've been here a zillion times for dinner but never for brunch.  It never even entered my mind that they'd do brunch.

    So we thought we'd give it a try.  I am a HUGE small plates person so you can imagine my delight when I saw that their brunch menu had both normal sized portions and also small plates portions.  Like a teeny tiny stack of pancakes or that mini french toast.  Or if you so choose, a normal sized omlette.  Oh, and the bloody mary bar- oh, I do adore a good bloody mary! And it's so fun to create your own- only I generally have no idea what I'm doing when left to my own devices.

    I also love that you can order off either their brunch or dinner menu.  So you can get bacon wrapped dates and french toast in one meal, if you so choose.  Um, awesome! Winning!

    Now while we were here our waiter mentioned their new years day party.  It's a pajama party!!! And as long as you do show up in pj's, whatever you spend on food and drink, you get back in the form of gift cards when you leave- for use at a later time.  So we basically got 2 meals for the price of one!! AWESOME!  AND, since we got to eat in our pjs (aka stretchy pants) we managed to eat a LOT and thus we got a big ole gift card for our next visit!! I LOVE it!!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/19/2013
    1 check-in

    Love the pintxos platter!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/13/2012

    I'm going to start by saying this place is amazing.  The waiter was very helpful by giving us great recommendations. We tried the six types of pinxos and I have to say that the tuna pinxo is out of this world.  We also tried a few appetizers and I must say that the gambas al ajillo  is the best shrimp I've ever had. If you try it, don't forget to dip bread in the oily juices that come with the shrimp. It is extraordinary fabulous.

    We tried all their deserts, and their mango sorbet is extremely delicious. I haven't found another place that has better mango sorbet than Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.
    We'll be coming back soon.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/12/2012

    I went here for a friend's birthday in July, and I can honestly say I do not have a bad word to say about the place. I am not big on tapas or Spanish food, so I had no expectations walking in. They defiantly blew me out of the water on everything. The waitress recommended that each person pick 3 plates each and then just pass around everything to share, so that's what we did. A little tip that is WAY too much food!!!!! We were swimming in plates. But everything was very tasty, there was not a single plate ordered that we did not enjoy. My recommendation is to look for the things you know you like chicken, steak, veggie, or seafood and pick anything that sounds good. We went with a few adventurous options and really enjoyed those as well!!  
    The wait staff was aware it was my friend's birthday based on conversations etc, and without even asking brought her a complimentary dessert with a candle. (I was really impressed with that, just shows how attentive the wait staff is!!!) She got a taste test of a few different things and they were all tasty. I would not ordinarily order flan but from here I would HIGHLY recommend it. It was rich and had a distinct caramel taste which I love!!!
    HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE BLACK RASPBERRY SANGRIA!!! I was extremely impressed with it (I am not a huge fan of sangria but this drink was awesome!!!!).

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/25/2013 Updated review

    After giving this place a second chance, I was much more pleased with my experience. The food and sangria were delicious, so I decided it was worth another go. Not only was the waitstaff friendly and attentive, the food was very good. The goat cheese and tomato sauce is definitely worth trying, and the spicy potatoes were also amazing. A friend of mine got the Spanish omelet, which was also very good. Definitely glad I gave this place another shot!

    2.0 star rating
    2/26/2013 Previous review
    I heard really good things about this place, so I was excited to try it. However, my experience was… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    2/7/2010

    Wow, what a fun place!  I went there last night with 3 friends before we went to Steppenwolf.  Tara, our waitress was great and explained everything to us; which was so helpful.  We had the spinach & goat cheese stuffed mushrooms which were outstanding.  The mushrooms were done just right.  We also had and enjoyed the sirloin, spinach, pepper & onion; and the chicken & chorizo sausage.  The goat cheese & tomato sauce was ok (nothing special about it), but is not one that I would get again as it was not filling.  We had their desserts but the BEST dessert is the macaroon almond & caramel pastry tart.  It's like a "snickers on steroids" (quote from one of the managers).  

    We sat next to the grill area and a manager turned on the fan above us as the smell of the grill was quite noticeable.  He took the price of the desserts off our bill and didn't tell us.  We were pleasantly surprised.  

    They offer cooking demos, wine tastings.  I would go back and would also attend one of the wine tastings.

    The Vega (?) chardonnay (Navarra Region in Spain) was quite good.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/9/2011
    1 check-in

    We went there on a Tuesday when I was in Chicago for an interview. There weren't too many people around and we sat at the bar so service wasn't really an issue.

    Sangria, awesome. Especially compared to others I have had since. Classic white/red is just as good as the fancier ones. I would know, since we had about 3 pitchers during dinner. Did I mention that it was only three of us?

    On to the food.
    -Bacon wrapped dates were indeed as great as the hype.
    -Citrus cured Salmon is a definite must.
    -Fried calamari was decent but nothing to write home about
    -Dry rubbed pork ribs. Have fun licking your fingers after 'cause you definitely will be.

    I wish I can remember more of what we ate but I was more interested in the people I was eating with than the food itself. For once.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/14/2012

    Love this place...I always recommend it to out-of-towners but it never quite reaches the heights of Emilios (at least not for me).  

    Ironically, Lettuce Entertain You brought chef Emilio as their Executive Chef for Babareeba before he struck out on his own.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/13/2013

    Perfect service, delicious, fresh, hot food, great atmosphere, I saw a manager checking the cleanliness of the bathroom which goes overlooked at some places, and an overall wonderful dinner experience.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/26/2011
    3 check-ins

    This was my first of what I'm sure will be many trips to Ba-Ba-Reeba.

    My BFF had been here before with a large group of people. She tells me that there was no reservation made on a Friday night and they still only waited 10-15 minutes to be seated. Not bad.

    On this trip, it was just my BFF and me. We shared a pitcher of white (peach?) sangria. I'm not a huge fan of wine chocked full of fruit, but this was a-ok. Feeling like several small items was in order, I started with the plate of cheese and she had the shrimp skewers. She raved about the sauce. I raved about the goat cheese. Our waiter, Jesus, was very fast and friendly. He even encouraged me to use the little bit of spanish I know ("Yo quiero los patatas bravas, por favor"). The rest of the staff was quite friendly as well. BTW, the patatas bravas were to DIE FOR. For those of us who loved Rally's fries, they were like that but bigger and they came with a special dipping sauce. I don't know how I'm even surviving without having had those potatoes since I first tried them, but as soon as I get back to Chicago, I have a date with those potatoes.

    Deciding that I needed to immediately take up residence in the back of this restaurant, I used my Yelp app to check in. Wouldn't ya know it -- there was a check-in offer of a free dessert! Jesus suggested the one with caramel and/or butterscotch and we added the tres leches because we apparently didn't want to be able to walk out of there. Everything was delicious.

    I couldn't ask for much more out of a restaurant.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/29/2009

    If I could give 3.5 stars, I would. But since I can't, I'll be nice and bump it up to 4 stars! Tapas never seems to really fill me up (I compare tapas to dimsum), but Ba-Ba-Reeba does have a few great tapas dishes and the sangria is worth the bump up to 4 stars! We ordered the classic red and white sangris, but the all around favorite was the white peach sangria!

    I came here for dinner during our few days of training for work, so plenty of sangria and tapas were ordered! Here's a sampling of my picks:

    Thumbs Up!
    - Crispy Spicy Potatoes - Large portions dipped in yummy cheese!
    - warm potato & onion omelette - love the cheese dipping sauce!
    - baked goat cheese - not as great as some I've tried, but still a good choice!
    - bacon-wrapped dates - I love bacon and I love dates!
    - crispy calamari - always a good dish to order!
    - grilled sirloin - gotta have some meat! yum!

    So-so...
    - chicken ham croquettes
    - garlic shrimp - not bad, but nothing special either
    - sea scallops - I love scallops and these were fine, but nothing special
    - Spanish meatballs - didn't taste any different than regular meatballs
    - Chicken paella - I've had better

    Oh, and please don't forget about their Mini Tapas Desserts! The truffle chocolate cake was way too rich, but the mango sorbet is homemade and delish! It's the perfect way to top off a stuffed dinner!

    Overall, the atmosphere is great for a group outing, the food is good and you'll have a great time!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/17/2013
    2 check-ins

    Fantastic place to eat with a group! I absolutely love Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. I've came here on many occasions for dates, birthday's and girl's nights. Their sangria is to die for, their tapas (small plates) are a very decent size to share (not as small as I expected), and the staff is great! It is a fun atmosphere for anyone, and your belly will be pleased. Definitely join their text-club, they send you monthly texts for free plates that you may not try normally but get the chance to.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/9/2013

    Nice atmosphere, good food, good service.  I was craving some tapas(I studied abroad in Spain) and decided to give it a shot.  I had recently been to Cafe Iberico and wanted to try the other Spanish restaurants out.  Ill give the nod to Iberico on food.  Babareeba had good Jamon and cheeses, but Iberico's food overall was amazing.  I'll probably be back, but it's not my first choice for Spanish food if I'm gonna drop $90 for 2.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/18/2013
    1 check-in

    My friends and I dined here and had a great  night! Our server, Marilyn, was fantastic! Awesome wine list and delicious food!

  • 2.0 star rating
    2/4/2013

    Maybe I have a high standard, but I thought the dining experience was just "ok." I took a generous sampling of the menu, including the platter on the top of the menu. The only dish that impressed me was the Morroccan chicken. It was a generous helping for tapas and the spices were blended perfectly! The garlic shrimp was disappointing - good flavored but low quality shrimp. I eat out so much that I'm very selective on where I spend my money. I won't go out of my way to come here again, yet I won't actively avoid it either.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/17/2013
    1 check-in

    This is a friendly place well adapted to meet friends or family. The room is spacious and even when crowded it does not get too noisy. Kids welcome. Food is fun not exceptional. Different Sangria to try. A good spot to relax during the week end.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/3/2012
    1 check-in

    I've lost count of how many times we have been here, we even had our rehearsal dinner here.  All great experiences.  My favorite tapas spot in Chicago, i know some people disagree, but Iberico doesn't even come close in my opinion.

    Some of our favorites accompanied by a full pitcher of red sangria -
    Serrano ham, salchichon, chorizo & manchego cheese
    Goat cheese baked in tomato sauce
    Spicy potatoes with tomato alioli
    Skewered chicken & chorizo sausage
    Roasted dates with bacon in apple vinaigrette
    Beef skewer with horseradish cream & red onion relish

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/17/2013
    1 check-in

    I have come here many times and I am never disappointed . The atmosphere is fun, great for groups that want to talk and interact. The choices of food items are wonderful. . I especially love the Paella!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/13/2012
    3 check-ins

    The beautiful love of my life took me here for my birthday, and I must say, it was hands down one of the best birthday presents a man can get from his woman.  We returned here again, and the service is still as good as it gets, and the food is absolutely amazing.  I love how you can select from different flavors of sangria, and that you can order a pitcher of it at a reasonable price, for both you, your date, or group to casually consume.  I'm quite honestly hooked on this place, and I wait to introduce Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba to other friends and family.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/15/2013

    Absolutely delicious! I love how all of the dishes are so reasonably priced, yet large enough to share with a group of people. I was a little skeptical about being filled up, but by the end of the meal, my belly was full, and my taste buds were content :D

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/13/2012

    I went to this place for the first time just over a month ago and have already been back 2 times, thats how much i love it! The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because it can be a bit pricey. The last time I went I got the peach sangria and it was delicious! It didn't taste like a pound of sugar was just poured in with some alcohol and stirred around like most restaurants seem to do. I've had the chicken paella and the chicken and pork paella and both were very good. I preferred the chicken paella because it had more grilled veggies. I also really liked the grilled asparagus and cheese, the braised ribs and the spinach artichoke dip.

    I would suggest going on a week day otherwise expect a very long wait, or to not be able to get a table at all. This place would be great for a date night! Quick service, delicious food, cool ambiance, its alright in my book!

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/5/2012

    Nice looking food, people and place; however the food itself  was average!

    Serrano ham tasted like wax: when you claim to fly in ingredients from ESP, get the ham right.

    steamed clams were averag, again the produce wsd substandard and the wine sauce was not properly reduced.

    sangria was decent, and a kabab / skewered beef dish was excellent.

    7 tapas ordered: 2 failed miserably

    Unlikely that I will go back for the food.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/17/2011

    In Chicago for the weekend and had a delicious Friday night dinner!  The classic sangria was perfect and I loved the tapas we shared.  My only negative feedback is that it is a meat heavy menu.  Although, there are some great veggie options but minimal vegan vegan options.  

    I really liked the tapas size desserts, great for tasting :)  The chocolate desserts were my favorite.  Although the chocolate-cherry dessert needed more flavor.    All-in-all it was a fun place with good food and good company.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/18/2013

    I've been here for dinner a couple times and it's always great.  Here's what I suggest:

    Just order it!: scallops, ham and cheese croquetas, short ribs, patatas bravas and whichever monthly sangria they offer

    Kind of disappointing: tortilla espanola, stuffed mushrooms, queso de cabra (all 3 were good but ive had much better at other places)

    1 Tip: order a side of the sauce they serve with the tortilla espanola (alioli something) since it makes a great dipping sauce for basically everything on the menu

    Enjoy!

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/2/2011
    2 check-ins

    Maybe it's just me, but Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba just doesn't make me jump for joy.

    Service is AWFUL. Even if you have a reservation, you usually have to wait 10-15 minutes for a table, and last time we were there, we were literally waving at our waiter to try to get his attention. He'd walk straight by and not make eye contact...about five times before taking our order, getting us more drinks, etc. So much for that tip.

    Sangria tastes like fruit juice, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't have any actual alcohol in it.

    Food was, admittedly, delicious - hence the three stars - except that I felt horribly sick after both times I was at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba recently, even though we ordered COMPLETELY different things both times!

    So sad. I'll be sticking to Mercat a la Planxa for my tapas from here on out. Same prices, but way better experience

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    7/6/2009

    I had some old NYC friends in town for the July 4th festivities, and we decided to cap off the visit with a Sunday brunch at Ba-Ba-Reeba.  I'd been a couple times before, and this place just keeps getting better.  

    Sure, it's usually crowded as you-know-what, and sometimes there's a wait, but dayyyyum!  Once you get seated, it's so worth it!  

    About 6 of us were seated at a table in their outdoor side yard on a beautiful, 75-ish degree day, with sun shining.  We had some red sangria, and a nice mix of their special brunch tapas, and the regular tapas.  Highlights included shrimp in garlic, endive salad w/ some awesome strawberry gelatin stuff, lamb in couscous, beef tenderloin w/ blue cheese, grilled calamari, assorted spanish sausages, mushroom soup, and a bunch of other small plates that escape me right now.  

    The waitstaff were attentive and friendly.  That perfect blend between staying on top of the table, but not smothering it.

    I LOVE the concept of tapas..  great to order a bunch of stuff and share so that everyone gets to sample a lot of things from the kitchen.  Ba-Ba-Reeba pulls it off quite well.  I'm a huge fan!

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/24/2013
    1 check-in
    Listed in Tapas

    The food is decent but be prepared for a mega wait. They told us 45 minutes but it was an hour and a half. The service was great, though.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/4/2009
    6 check-ins

    This weekend was my first time going here and the day before I went to Cafe Iberico.  I have to say I definitely liked Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba better.  It was a lot nicer and seemed to have more options (although it's probably the same).  

    My fave things were the scallops, beef skewer, and beef empanada.  Of course, the cherry bread pudding and flan were very delicious as well.  I thought the food had more flavor than the Iberico place and  flamenco starts on Sundays at 5 pm.

    I'm giving it four stars because the service was not the best.  Plus, the bacon wrapped dates were terribly greasy and the bacon overpowered the fig way too much.

    Otherwise, it's a great place to go on a date or with a group of friends.  Plus, I love all the shopping nearby!    :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/17/2012
    1 check-in

    The food was good, and the Sangria's were better. However, leaving the place, it left for something to be desired. We tried the beef empanadas, and a few other dishes as well, but that was it. As I walked out, I felt an unsatisfying full. The Sangria's are a definite must though!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/17/2012

    This. Is. My. Favorite. Restaurant. On the planet. The planet. Because of the FOOD.

    I have sampled almost everything and determined that the best plates ARE: Spicy Potatoes. Beef and Blue Cheese. Baked Goat Cheese. Shrimp with Red Pepper and Garlic. Bacon Wrapped Dates. Caramelized Banana with Pistachio. And you might like the many different kinds of sangria, but truly, the plain ol' red and white is better than anything else.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/13/2009

    I like this place a lot. In the Summer they have great patio that's perfect for sipping some delicious Sangria. Even the flavored sangria's are delicious- when is that ever the case? Never, except for here.

    I've only eaten a tapas meal here once and it was okay. I was really grossed out by their cheese plate though. It tasted way too much like how the farm animal exhibit at the zoo smells. Never again will I order the cheese plate here- trust me, it's questionable. Everything else was delicious though I could do with the prices being a little lower.

    I generally only come for the happy hour at the bar where they have $2 tapas specials that are unbeatable and sooo delicious. My bf and I used to try to race here before it ended to have early bird dinner of happy hour foods- it's fabulous and more than fit our budget.

    Go for the happy hour and get a tropical flavored sangria- it's a delicious deal.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/23/2012

    Loved this tapas restaurant in Lincoln Park!  My friends and I ducked in to avoid a rainstorm but found a great restaurant with good service and wonderful food!  We shared a pitcher of the classic red sangria and there were tons of compliments on it.  I also tried the chorizo-wrapped medjool date & cheese, the deviled egg and the spinach and artichoke dip.  YUMMY!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/18/2011

    I've never been to Spain, but I bet this place would fit right in (maybe).  It's got a nice authentic feel to it once you get in and past the bar.  I think if you're a tapas fan, you have to check this place out.

    You definitely need to try the following:
    -ahi tuna poached in olive oil on avocado toast pintxos
    -(23) mixed green, beets, orange & goat cheese
    -(40) citrus-cured salmon, cucumber, crema & toast
    -(51) rioja braised short ribs, mashed potatoes
    -prime rib (on the specials menu)
    And you might as well try a paella too.  We went with the chicken, roasted pork and it was good.  I'm sure either of the other two are just as good.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/15/2012

    I am a middle school Spanish teacher and, in 7th grade, we learn about the foods served in a typical café in Spanish speaking countries. We speak about the culture of tapas and, specifically, the famous "tortilla española."  Of course, to really experience a culture, you need to taste their cuisine. Thus, I was on a "mission" to get sample size pieces of "tortilla española" for about 100 students.

    We take our 8th grade students to Café Ba Ba Reeba for a luncheon and I personally adore their food so I called Café Ba Ba Reeba for help. I spoke to co-owner, Michael, and a catering associate, Allison, and they were professional, helpful and equally as excited about our students tasting tapas. They arranged to have the pieces cut, tooth picked, and packaged in containers so I could fit them over night in my fridge. They included the "special sauce" on the side and a tray to serve them on. Allison made sure that I refrigerated the tapas, but explained that they are served room temperature.

    Good customer service with a staff who anticipates your needs before you do is rare to find. I recommend Café Ba Ba Reeba for catering and for dining in their upbeat restaurant.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/24/2011

    This place is great. However, can get a bit pricey if you're super hungry.

    Went on a Sunday night, place was pretty packed. The food was good, we had about 5-6 plates and the desert sampler, which was Ok.

    I have to say, my favorite thing about this place (and most places) is the booze. The different types of Sangrias are absolutely delicious.

    Give it a try.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/6/2012

    Always so good! Check in on four square for free stuff or join their texting club. If the wait is too long snag a seat at the bar tables.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/12/2012

    Came here with my sister, was seated very promptly with our OpenTable reservation. The server was very knowledgeable about the menu items, and we wish we could have ordered everything on the menu! Tapa style, we ordered dish after dish and the filet was awesome! Sangriaaaa all day every dayyy :-)

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/15/2011

    Took my fiance and our friends here for his birthday. It lived up to the hype. Friendly server, fantastic food and delish sangria.

    I definitely recommend reservations for large groups at least a month in advance. We had a group of 8 and they put us in a large table in the back of the restaurant to the left. I asked about patio seating, but they can't put groups larger than 6 there due to fire laws.

    We had just about everything on the menu! Started out with a 1/2 pitcher of their classic red sangria, and munched on their bread olive oil  & black pepper while we waited. The bread they gave us to start with was really hard, but we were hungry and it didn't matter that much. When the rest of our group joined us we were given fresh, soft, chewy bread which was nice!

    Food standouts:
    The Spinach and Machego Stuffed Mushrooms- We kept ordering more, because 4 wasn't enough! We would've eaten these little guys by the bucket!
    Goat Cheese baked in Tomato Sauce - Comes with garlic bread slices, a good starter.
    Spicy Potato with Tomato Alioli - Very satisfying and they give you a decent portion for a tapas sized plate.
    We all couldn't get enough of the Handmade Beef Empanadas, ordered several to nosh on.
    The caramelized red onions that came with the Beef Skewer were divine. I could've eaten them all alone.
    The shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes came with nice, big, plump shrimp, but the real standout was the EVO, shallot, garlic and red pepper mix it came in. WOW. I ordered more bread and dipped it in this. The waiters are great, and try to keep the tables cleared, but I kept fending them off to keep this oily treasure near me.

    Nice touch:
    We gave the cake and candles to the waitress ahead of time, to surprise my honey. She brought them out lit and we all got to sing to the birthday boy who was pleasantly surprised. Great job Cafe Ba Ba Reeba, you've definitely earned my repeat patronage.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/11/2013
    1 check-in

    Pomegranate sangria...mmmm

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/13/2011

    Tapas are one of the great loves of my life.  Lucky me, Chicago has its fair share places to share tiny plates of yummy-ness.  Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is one of my go to places because what they do well (ambiance and death by sangria) they do really well.  Their tapas are on-par with most of the other places in the city.  Most of them are good to great with a few not quite hitting the mark.  

    TRY:
    Ahi Tuna Tartar
    Octopus a la Plancha
    Roast Eggplant Salad
    Roast Dates w/ Bacon

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/29/2013
    1 check-in

    Delicious food, yummy sangrias!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/29/2013
    1 check-in

    Went here with a friend and loved every minute of it! We did not have a reservation and were told there was a 1.5 hour wait but we could go to the bar which was first come first serve. Withing a couple of minutes of waiting we snagged a table in the bar area that also falls into the "first come first serve" area . All of the tapas we had were delicious and went great with the bottle of wine the server recommended. They had a Yelp deal going on that allowed a free dessert with a check-in so we got the Churros, which were nothing special, if I go again I would opt for a different dessert.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/11/2011

    It is rare that I find a place I am completely satisfied with EVERY item on the menu- and let me assure you- THIS place tops my list.  We came here for Sunday brunch and I honestly don't think the food had a chance to lasting on our table longer than 3 minutes a plate.

    The bacon wrapped dates were like eating tiny pieces of heaven.  The deviled eggs were so good that we ordered seconds!  The cheeses melted in our mouths...and I know my boyfriend loved the meatballs.  Amazing.  Simply amazing.  the calamari was a LITTLE overcooked, but it was good, nonetheless.

    The sangria was delicious, as was the ice tea (with a hint of peach?).  

    The prices were 100% on point (dishes from $1.50 to $8, from what we were picking), which always makes me enjoy food more.

    Complete with Spanish decor and friendly staff; we were pleased, and left smiling.  I will come back here over and over.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/6/2013

    This was my first tapas experience and I loved it! To start they have multiple flavors of sangria which so far I have had peach and I think the classic red one and both were amazing and for a pitcher very reasonably priced. The server was so nice and helpful since I had no idea what to do and everything we got was delicious-my favorite was the short ribs!

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/17/2011

    i remember coming here during college and every always had their favorite tapas place. I think the paella here is great especially the lobster but I swear the portions are getting smaller and smaller but still really tasty. My favorite is the scallops and the garlic potatoes.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/22/2011
    3 check-ins

    Went here on a Friday night with my besties and had alot of delicious food.
    It was my first time there and I checked in with Yelp and got the Pintxos platter for free !  It had all of the pintxos offered, and they were all very tasty, my favorites were the chorizo wrapped medjool date & manchego and the short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper.
    I personally ordered the shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes which were very good, I also ordered the beef tenderloin & blue cheese which was TO DIE FOR !!!  It was two pieces of tenderloin with a dollop on blue cheese.... literally I would ask this to be my last mean... DELISH !
    Since it was a tapas place I did try everything my friends also have
    *goat cheese baked in tomato sauce - delightful
    *fried calamari & tomato crudo, jalapeno alioli - typical calamari but the alioli was made is spicy and special
    *rioja short ribs, manchego mashed potatoes - pretty good (not as good as the tenderloin
    *seared scallops, raisins, couscous & pine nuts - the scallop was cooked perfectly and was very good

    I also had the classic sangria which I really enjoyed.

    Desert was just ok I had the Cake with seasonal fresh fruit which happened to be mandarin orange and gelato.... pretty tasty

    Overall I will definitely be back for the over ambiance and the tenderloin !

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/16/2011 Updated review

    The management at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is truly top notch. After my previous review, I had the owner and general manager reach out to me to apologize and ask for my input. That was truly refreshing and meant so much to me. I wish all restaurants took their commitment to customer service as seriously!

    I went back this past Saturday with two girlfriends and had a great time from start to finish. I particularly enjoyed my mango sangria (their special sangria of the day) and the steak special with the green butter, which was very rich and satisfying. But the breakout performer had to be their chocolate truffle cake. The three of us split it and it was the perfect finish to the meal (and under $3!).

    I love coming here for dinner and after my interactions with the management and staff, I am looking forward to trying their brunch again in the future.

    5.0 star rating
    6/1/2011 Previous review
    I would like to thank Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for the BEST worst service experience I have ever had. I have… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    6/28/2011

    Aw hell yeahh! Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is the place to be for tapas! Walking past it a few times, it always is super packed so when I actually got the opportunity to go try it (with Firebelly Design + their campers ) I was supremely excited. And what's more... I wasn't let down. I recommend making reservations btdubs.

    The atmosphere of Cafe Ba-ba-reeba is insanely energetic. People are buzzing, it's crowded but not uncomfortably crowded. I had a handful of dishes because we were all sharing. This is what I recommend:

    - roasted eggplant salad + goat cheese
    - lamb kabob (they kind of oversalted it the 2nd time around, but still good)
    - goat cheese in tomato sauce + garlic bread
    - serrano ham + tomato bread (YUM)
    - chicken and ham croquetas (creamy, rich, crunchy and delish!)
    - patatas bravas
    - stuffed mushrooms
    - seared scallops w/ spinach
    - shrimp w/ garlic. olive oil red pepper flakes OMG SO GOOD- hit the spot.

    Basically, I enjoyed most of it. They do have their own olives that they marinate in house which was extremely tasty, so I suggest that to snack if you are an olive lover! I am sure I will be back - writing this review makes my mouth water.

    Service was pretty mediocre.  They were probably rushing around a lot because they're so busy. They were putting plates down where they weren't supposed to...etc but oh yeah, the white sangria was really great too! Def. comparable to Iberico. I'd pick either to go get tapas at.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/12/2013

    This is a family favorite.  Every time we go, the wait staff make us all feel welcome.  Kids try dishes they wouldn't try otherwise and the atmosphere is festive.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/1/2009

    Went here with the gf and her family..

    Quite interesting as some barely spoke English..

    Anyways, I can't comment on the drinks as I didn't feel right ordering anything besides water.. The food was good though.. The tapas were just as good I thought as Iberico and more importantly, our server was patient with our group.. he was quite helpful..

    For what could of been a really bad outing to try something new for the group, it turned out really, really well.. Good thing for the good food and attentive, patient service..

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/25/2011
    1 check-in

    I would actually give Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba 3.5 stars if I could, but I'm feeling generous this evening, so I'll bump it up to 4.

    What I liked...they take reservations, which is bomb because we came here for a birthday occasion and were seated straight away. I did enjoy their sangria. Granted, I still think I make the world's best sangria, but I was liking what we ordered. We started with their sangria of the day, which was a mango sangria, with white wine. Then we opted for the more traditional red wine sangria. If I had to choose between the two, I would say the mango sangria was more my style, but I've never been a red wine kind a gal, so maybe this is why.

    What I did NOT like: while this is a tapas restaurant, I felt the small plates weren't easily shareable. For example, we ordered the garlic scallops and, while delicious, we had to cut each scallop in half to have enough to go around. Also, the chicken empanada (which I did not eat), was literally one medium sized empanada which you also had to cut into sections in order to share. The pixto platter was annoying as well because everything was bite sized! So, if you happened to want that goat cheese croquetta (as I did), but some other member of your party who could not take a hint, also want that croquetta, we basically had to cut it in two. It was wholly aggravating but whatever. I got over and enjoyed my meal anyway.

    Two of my favorite dishes were the octopus and potato, and the paella. Unfortunately, there was very little octopus and a whole helluva lot of potato. Kind of a rip off, as I would have like to see more octopus. The same dish at Iberico is much more satisfying than here, but I still enjoyed it. I also (surprisingly) loved the seafood paella. Now, I lived in Spain for a year and have had my share of authentic, unbeatable paellas, and of course Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba isn't quite there yet, but it was damn good. Nice and creamy with a good dose of seafood peppered throughout the dish, this is a must order.

    Our waiter was on top of his game and the service was constant, with different waiters here and there bringing out our various dishes. We were never left without something from which to pick at and share.

    Conclusion: liked it, and sure I'll be back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/13/2012

    I've traveled and lived all over the world, and during that time Chicago's become the home of some of the best and trendiest restaurants.  While the new restaurants are good and I do go to them, I've never gone back twice.  Ba ba reeba on the other hand has been a hands down STAPLE in my life since I was a teenager.  I have never been disappointed and come here time and time again every time I am in Chicago.  This is my favorite go to restaurant for any occasion: dates, friends, entertaining out of towners, bdays etc.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/16/2013

    Great place to bring a group. The food is good and there is something for everyone. The portions are great for sharing. Just about everything we ordered was good. Great waitstaff as well.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/14/2012

    A friend of mine recommended this place and it's definitely quite elegant but their portions are small even for tapas and the service is a bit slow. If you are going for a meal (ordering just tapas) don't bother because you don't get much for your money and you are better off ordering their paella which is decently priced. For sure this is a nice place to come for a date or turn down your hunger, but not very good if you are really hungry and need to fill up.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/24/2013

    Great food, spotty service.  I would return!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/9/2009

    My first experience with Tapas, and if all of them are like here, then I know I'm in good hands!

    Made a reservation on Opentable and arrived for Dad's 50th birthday dinner at 7:30.  Line out the door, the bar was full all around and four people deep, yet the experienced servers still carried trays as high as possible through the bustling crowd.

    We tried probably about half the menu, really hitting a homerun with the bacon-wrapped dates, crispy spicy potatoes (the sauce is addictive) and goat cheese/tomato sauce with garlic toast.  The fried calamari was superb, and so was our service.  

    A manager came over to thank us for coming in and brought a dessert for everyone at the table.  My parents are hard to please, as they own a business of their own, but my dad was all smiles all night!  I'll be back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/12/2013

    We sampled many, many things and everything was great.  It's a little pricey and a little loud for my taste but I would definitely go back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/5/2011

    Went on a date here on a Saturday night and the place of course was hopping. we had a reservation & waited about 20 mins for a table, i think we were a little late. many groups of single women in their 20's very dressed up on what seemed to be a "girls night out". our server was very nice and was always checking on us. my water glass never stayed empty. my date had a few glasses of red wine, different one each time & enjoyed them. we were pleased with everything we ordered minus a shrimp dish. wish i could remember what it was called, but it was waaaaaaaaay to salty. the smoked salmon with cumcumber spread is delicious. it seemed from the menu everything was priced reasonably, but i didnt pay the final bill so i cant comment on that.
    if you havent yet, give it a try. your tummy will thank you.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/13/2011

    FINALLY tried this place and WOW... such a big fan!! the lamb and couscous is SO flavorful and yummy... the spicy potatoes with whatever sauce they give with it is amazing... coconut flan and their tres leches cake are both so good!  its super packed... we called at 7 and got the first available reservation for 10:30! .. it was worth the wait. i def recommend this... a great place for a girls night out.. and really good prices too!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/10/2013
    1 check-in

    Just all around solid food. Nothing spectacular, but nothing bad. Good vine in the room, an easily accessible to area theaters.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/6/2011

    Hands down one of my favorite restaurants to go to in Chicago!  The tapas plates are great for sharing and the Sangria on tap will keep me coming back for more every time!

    The paella is amazing too!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/19/2013

    Service was good! Food was great!! I suggest making a reservation because this place gets pretty busy!! I will be back to Cafe Ba-Ba-reeba!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/18/2012

    Only a block away from my house, this is my favorite Chicago spot to eat.

    The food is excellent and it is a very fun environment.

    This is a great place to eat if you love food. You get to sample many flavors, as this is a tapas restaurant. Don't be afraid either, the portions are small enough where you won't get full, but big enough to share. And as a bonus, it is very well priced.

    A few of my favorite items on the menu are the Spicy Potatoes, Beef and Blue Cheese, and the Shrimp with Red Pepper and Garlic. Leave room for desert, as every option on the menu is delicious.

    If you are 21+ make sure you order the Sangria, they have many flavors, try whichever one sounds best to you, its grantee to not disappoint.

    If you are going on the weekend make sure you have a reservation, through it is worth the wait, an hour is a long time when you are hungry!

    Happy Eating!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/25/2013

    Great Location, great sangria, and eating tapas was a terrific way to try a lot of different things to see what foods you enjoy!  There wasn't a bad one in the bunch!    The service was very friendly, and the atmosphere was a little loud and very fun.   Definitely a hot spot to go back to.

  • 2.0 star rating
    11/29/2011

    Went here with high expectations around the Paella, as it is incredibly hard to get decent Spanish food in Chicago. Saturday, lunch time, and I'm faced with a Brunch menu. What?? Why??

    I really don't get why this restaurant makes a big deal of their paellas and then don't offer them for lunch.

    The tapas were average, at best. and not that exciting. Wines are over-priced.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 3.0 star rating
    3/5/2011

    Tapas is awesome, and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba offers a really nice experience.  The food is very good, but the best tapas I've ever had (Emilio's) but it's very good.  They have a new single bite menu that's really awesome, it offers super rich tastes of really delicious food (like the Spanish brownie which might be one of my top 10 favorite things I've ever tasted).  

    The service is really very good.  Our waitress was attentive, offered really good advice about beer and everything came very quickly.

    The atmosphere was a little off-putting.  We were sat at a half booth two-top that was about 8 inches away from the next table on each side.  About 20 minutes into the meal they dipped the lights to a sleazy bar level, and I'm not a fan of eating in the dark.  

    It's an expensive meal, but it is really satisfying once and a while.  I like this place ok enough.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/9/2013
    1 check-in

    Try the quest de cabra! Yum!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/5/2012
    3 check-ins

    I am in love with this place!  And who isn't?  The food is amazing, the atmosphere is top notch, and the sangria....LAWD!!  Went here recently for my BFF's bachelorette party.  We had a prix fixed deal and it was great.  They kept bringing us more and more food and each dish tasted better than the last.  That potato salad was the best thing ever.  I have never gottenn bad service there.  Everytime I go the service is impeccable.  I went one time and was dancing to the background music (not because I was drinking, but because I can't stand still) and a waiter saw me and started dancing with me!  How cool is that?!  They have a great lunch menu too.  Give them a try.  I promise you'll want to go back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/6/2011

    I have been here several times in the last 3 years I've lived in Chicago and have had a good experience everytime.  As long as you make a reservation (and your entire party shows up on time) you shouldn't have a long wait.

    First things first...Sangria!  I've had serveral of the flavors and the Black Raspberry is by far the best.  A couple pitchers of these and you will be happy for the rest of the night.

    Over my several visits I've tried the majority of items on the menu and the bacon wrapped dates are to die for.  We typically end up ordering at least 2 rounds of them.  Also some favorite dishes are the scallops,  patatas bravas (these have a fabulous kick to them) and the ahi tuna tatar.

    This is a great place to get a bunch of friends together and try a bunch of dishes while drinking sangria.  A must try spot!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/4/2011
    2 check-ins

    Being slightly elitist for having studied abroad in Spain, I'm a bit biased to Cafe Iberico as I have found their offerings a bit more Andalucian in flavor  (See?  Told you. Elitist).

    I must say though, the bacon wrapped dates are absolutely delightful here.  They literally shock your mouth with their sweet goodness.  The patatas bravas beat Iberico hands down as well.  I very much enjoyed their roasted/salted peppers. Watch out for the red ones though, they're spicy.  I am beginning to salivate just thinking about their queso de cabra.  Nom nom nom.

    Their pinxtos platter is a pretty sweet deal, especially in combo with their happy hour prices.  I would definitely bring my semi-snotty arse back to indulge my inner Spaniard.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/20/2010

    God, this place has so many reviews, my opinion probably doesn't matter much. So let me just say that, despite the long wait sometimes, I LOVE this place!!! Good tapas and sangria. What more could you ask for?

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/27/2013

    Our favorite items that we got.  Goat Cheese Croqueta and The Butterscotch Dessert I would come back for both of these in a second.  We also got the Goat Cheese, Pistachio, Mint and Nispera Preserves.  It was good but nothing special the pistachios got lost in the dish and that is what we were looking for.  Both the Garlic Potato Salad and Wood-Roasted Sweet Potato Bravas, Pomegranate Alioli were good but not standouts.  The Beef Tenderloin & Blue Cheese was cooked perfectly and  the bleu cheese was great but also didn't standout in the city of steakhouse.  Hope this helps.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/3/2013

    We went to cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba as a family on a Saturday night. We had a wonderful time. The waiter was helpful and friendly even though we were very inexperienced at tapas. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. We would return again.

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/28/2009

    Went here for dinner during the summer - my expectations were so high and I ended up being fairly unimpressed! The peach sangria was all right, and had good flavor, but wasn't strong enough for my taste.

    There was a trend with all the food - it seemed like it was cooked beforehand, and sitting there waiting for somebody to order it. It didn't taste freshly made, and the hot food wasn't as hot as it should be (nor was the cold food cold enough)! When the food tasted good, it almost seemed like an accident, like it was good in spite of the preparation! The cheeses were very mild and were served with a nice preserve and some nuts, but they had condensation on them when they came out - implying that they'd been sitting out - this was the Spanish Artisan Cheese Plate.

    The asparagus salad was tasty but not terribly impressive. The scallops with couscous and the beef tenderloin with blue cheese  were the best dishes - they were well cooked and had good flavor, but the temperature was off.  The chicken and chorizo was very plain - basically just meat on a stick without a whole lot to make it special.

    The service wasn't also very attentive - busboys would drop plates on our table without removing empty plates. The tables were also so close together that busboys were precariously dangling trays over our heads as they served other tables. All in all, sometimes the food was good, but simply because the ingredients were sometimes high-quality. The presentation and service seemed to fight against the food.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/5/2009

    I can only give this place 3 stars because I have been to Cafe Iberico recently and found that I really enjoy the food and ambiance there a bit more.

    I recently came to Cafe Ba-ba-reeba for Brunch with some friends I had not seen in a few years that were visiting from out of town.  I figured it would be a good way to get in breakfast items, small plates, vegan options, and lunch options, all at once.  it succesfully did all of these things, and took reservations for my group.  it was not anywhere near as crowded as it usually is on evenings, so if you are having trouble getting sat at Toast or one of the other nearby brunch places you can come here, although it has a very different cuisine.

    I was also intrigued by the Bloody Mary bar, which is $7 and you can choose whatever Vodka you want and all the fixings.  I thought this seemed great, but then I realized I don't know what makes Bloody Mary's so delicious, so I wish i had a bartender helping me out.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/24/2013

    Awesome!!

    Food and sangria was delish. Highly recommend this place if you are looking for good tapas. We did have a slight seating issue. They sat us in this back room that was really cold, but as soon as we asked to be moved, they moved us no problem. So I really appreciated how accommodating they were.

    Definitely make a reservation in advance because this place is always slammed, especially on the weekend.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/2/2008

    This was my third option for lunch, and thus...I was a little disappointed from the onset. I'm not a huge tapas fan, ("huge" and "tapas" don't even belong in the same sentence), and I generally stay away from places such as this. The kitsch factor is a bit high...

    However, it was where we were, and they serve food and alcohol, so OK.

    1/2 pitcher of passion fruit sangria: NICE. Very nice. Well done, and well portioned. (this def earned the third star).

    Food: Eh. I'm a little iffy on the dishes we ordered.

    Soups: special of the week. My friend ordered pumpkin and I ordered the mushroom. For $5, I best be getting more than a cup of baby food. Seriously, the texture was mucky. Bland.

    Empanada: $5.95 for ONE empanada? Who you kiddin', fools? I can go to any Cuban place and get about 5 empanadas for that much, and they taste better. The glop of mayo on the side was a bit heavy and kind of blobby, too.

    Cheese Plate: By far the worst of the bunch. $8.50 for 3 chunks of sweaty cheese? No. Don't do it. Badness ensued.

    Stuffed Mushrooms: Ok. 4 of them. We ordered and they came out about 3 seconds later. This makes me think they live in a pan somewhere until they are presented. Hmmm, they tasted like it a bit.

    So, ya know. Not bad overall. Service was just dandy. Drinks were great. Food was so/so. I'd go maybe for drinks and small apps if I wasn't hungry, and wanted cheese in need of a kleenex.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/9/2011

    YUM!

    My fiancee and I came to Ba-Ba-Reeba before a show over at the Park West.  I'd normally avoid Lincoln Park like the plague but we wanted to eat somewhere in walking distance of the venue.  The valets were fast and friendly, the host staff and servers/table clearers were quick also.  Everything about the service itself was great!

    Food: we had the full pintxos platter for free, just send a text to some number on their site to get it texted back.  That's a $10 value of some tasty bites.  The quince and cheese was a favorite.  

    We ordered the following dishes:
    Warm potato and onion omelette: tasty, although you can tell it was just cut out of one pre-made earlier.
    Fried green peppers and coarse salt: very tasty!  My favorite of the night, actually.  A hefty portion of peppers of varying heat, made crunchy and salted perfectly.
    Octopus a la plancha, with potatoes and olives: to die for.  Octopus was just right and not chewy at all.  Everything cooked to perfection and seasoned so tasty.  I was surprised at the size of the serving, much larger than it would be at say Bull-eh-dia's.
    Beef brisket with peppers and onions: well I am Jewish so I had to have the brisket.  Although not Spanish-y, very good.  Not as good as my nana's.
    Serrano Ham, Salchichon, Chorizo & Manchego - fiancee ate this, the ham was pretty gross to me.  I am strange about pork sometimes (Jewish, like I said).

    I thought we'd need more but this made us both stuffed.  We also had the white peach sangria - $20 for a pitcher and delicious!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/11/2011
    2 check-ins

    I prefer this place over Cafe Iberico, but I've only been to both places one time each.  I had the following items:

    Goat Cheese Croqueta $1.50- Mouth full of yumminess.
    Ahi Tuna Poached in olive oil on avocado toast- $1.50 Tasty.  I didn't love all of the garnishment they had on top.  It had a good flavor, but I felt it was a bit too much on top.  Others may like it.  :)
    Prime Rib Special- Ok
    Grilled Prime Sirloin & Market Vegetables- Good
    Sangria- I didn't have it, but I heard it is YUMMY!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/17/2011

    I dined at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba on Saturday night while in town for a girls weekend. I previously had been to the one in Vegas, so I was familiar with the menu. Overall, my two girlfriends and I had a great time and a great meal.

    The mango sangria was outstanding! It was not too sweet and went down really easy (probably too easy!). We absolutely loved the mashed potatoes that came with the short rib, and the beef skewer with horseradish was cooked perfectly and was really tasty - this says a lot since I don't like red meat too much. We also ate every bit of the dates wrapped in bacon and the patatas bravas - these were also standout dishes among the ones we tried.

    I'm a big fan of tapas and was not disappointed in our meal. Our bill came to $77 before tip, which was not bad at all, considering we had gotten a pitcher of sangria. Unfortunately we were too full to try dessert, but they looked really good (we drooled over some at the table next to us), so I will definitely try them on a future visit.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/16/2011

    Surprisingly, I'm quite down with this place. It all starts with my love-hate relationship with tapas. Love the small portions, speed at which they are served, the never-know-what-you're-gonna-get way they are plated, etc. Hate the plethora of options and my inability to choose 6 dishes from a menu of 90+ small plates. Yes, I understand that's a personal problem and I am working on it.

    Started with the Passion Fruit sangria, which was fresh and not to sweet.
    Then ordered the spicy potatoes, which was like crispy-on-the-outside / hot-and-soft-on-the-inside french fries with a banging dipping sauce.

    The sirloin steak had a nice sauce but was too chewey at the served-medium temp.

    Scallops were spot on. Loved the pine nuts and raisins as a garnish.

    The meatballs were just okay (even though they were highlighted as a "favorite").

    The goat cheese dip was delicious, but tasted like any other LEYE version of goat cheese dip. I'm okay with that.

    We had a crab/shrimp dip, but I was so stuffed, I didn't get to try it.

    All in all, I'm going to go back and order 6 new dishes next time...AND dessert. Boo-ya, Ba-Ba-Reeba.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/10/2011

    GREAT food, good drinks, patient wait staff, reasonable prices & noise level. Was perfect for a friend's 41st.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/21/2010

    I love tapas and not just because people always think I am saying topless. Seriously, the idea of eating alot of different things all at the same time is pretty much a dream come true. But topless tapas, I might be on to something....

    I've been to Cafe Ba-Ba Reeba a number of times, with large groups, small groups, friends, co-workers, family, for brunch, dinner or lunch
    and this place is always a sure bet.

    Sangria - yum. Bloody mary bar for brunch - yum yum. Bacon wrapped dates - major yum (yes, I am the friend in Cassie R's review).

    I love the dates, the shrimp with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes,spicy potatoes with tomato alioli and the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce. I always get these and order two orders of the dates. :-)

    Service is decent - I've had better in some places, but never horrible service here. Prices are just want I would expect for the area. It gets really crowded and sometimes a bit uncomfortable and cramped,  but this is what you deal with when you want tapas!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/3/2009
    2 check-ins

    My first visit was on the 4th of July after my *brilliant* idea to trek all the way out to Naperville for Rib Fest.  After being denied entry due to massive crowds, missing REO Speedwagon and fireworks and getting completely lost in the 'burbs, we were super annoyed, STARVING and seriously in need of a beverage.  Cafe Ba Ba Reeba met our only criteria:

    *  they were still serving food at 10:00pm
    *  they had a bar

    Our server seemed a bit surprised, but was really nice when we interrupted his greeting to order our entire meal along with a giant pitcher of sangria.  The sangria was delicious.  I was happy with the menu selections as well.  I have spent some time in Spain and it was nice to see some of my favorite tapas on the menu (padron peppers, yum!).  The food was really good and the experience left us feeling great after a disastrous day.

    Went back again tonight for a friend's birthday party.  Still good, solid tapas and sangria.  Good service and great atmosphere.  What more could you ask for?

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/23/2013
    1 check-in

    Love this place! The grilled squid is a must try. And get a sangria pitcher, yum!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/13/2013

    Amazing sangria, enough said. Tapas varied some but overall a fun and tasty night.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/11/2011

    My 100th review!

    Best sangria I believe I have tasted.  This place is always slam packed. You will wait forever to be seated, up to an hour.  So just order a pitcher of sangria and you will forget how long you waited.

    Plenty of good tapas here. Tight spacing and maybe hard to grab your waiter so order alot when they are around.

  • 1.0 star rating
    10/1/2011

    Adam K who posted on 9/24/11 said it best.

    I just don't get the appeal of this place. First of all it's huge and so you feel immediately lost in a sea of diners. Our server was not knowledgable and mispronounced some items on the menu, then soon after ordering totally neglected us. The overall experience is impersonal. To put it simply, this place serves inauthentic, knock-off tapas.

    Ate here over a year ago and will NOT be back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/28/2012

    One of my favorite restaurants in the city. Whenever I have choice of where I want to go to dinner, it's almost always Ba Ba Reeba. There is so much to love!

    First off, the sangria is great. I love the special flavors and almost always try a new one each time I go. However, the classic red is just as good if you are not an experimental person.

    I have been happy with almost every small plate I've had there, however, I do have some favorites. The spicy potatoes are a must and we usually order two. We love the short ribs with the mashed potatoes, the spicy shrimp is great (and the garlicky oil is great for dipping their delicious bread) and the goat cheese marinara is a great starter. Also, make sure you get the short rib stuffed piquillo pepper. It's a perfect bit.

    The paella is ALSO awesome. It's hard to save room for it (it takes awhile to prepare) when you've eaten all the delicious tapas, but you have to try. I like the seafood combo, but husband likes the chicken & pork. It's a fight about which one we will get every time.

    It gets very crowded, so I recommend a reservation. The ambiance is LOUD, but the food is so good, that it's never bothered me much. It's a must try in Lincoln Park!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/29/2011
    1 check-in

    Tapas with sangria-- YUM YUM!

    First, I loved the environment and the feel of the place! It is uniquely decorated and the lighting is perfect! And you know what, we were quite a bit late for our reservation, but they still had our table despite the busy night they were having!

    Second, the food was pretty delicious. :) We, of course, ordered the bacon wrapped dates and the queso de cabra al horno (goat cheese was amazing!) among many! Since we checked in with Yelp, we got a free Pintxo Platter, which was also quite delicious! Although the food was yummy, I feel I have had better tapas and their menu selection was fairly standard, without surprising twists and turns. But, the food was quite yummy for my tummy!

    Lastly, the service was extremely 'considerate', where the waitress came by just about every 10 minutes or less (which became a bit tiring o.O). But hey, maybe it was just a busy night??

    I absolutely encourage you to try this place if you haven't. It's quite quaint and I really can't complain about the deliciousness of their food! :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/11/2012

    After studying abroad in Spain for a semester, I search for tapas restaurants. Well  me tell you, this is one of the best!

    The food is authentic and delicious and the staff is very friendly and professional. My friends and I love coming here to share a bunch of tapas and have way too many pitchers of White Peach Sangria. I am not normally a Sangria fan, but this Sangria is to die for.

    Basically, this place is AMAZING!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/1/2011

    Ah, Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. I had come here before but neglected to Yelp about them. But here I am, ready to fulfill my duty to the foodie society.

    We came on a Sunday afternoon. The bloody mary bar was still open and wow--talk about a smorgasbord. Top shelf vodka only. AND filled at the halfway mark. Fresh tomato juice, gazpacho, skewered shrimp, horseradish, olives--the works. I think we spent 15 minutes perfecting our bloody mary's (horseradish does it every time).

    My eyes immediately went to number 68 on the menu--roasted dates with bacon and apple vinagrette. Oh how I lament going semi-vegitarian in moments like these (health reasons only). Last time we ate here, they were SO amazing. But this time we went for the seafood and veggies. Our adventure began with the spinach and artichoke crepes from the brunch menu. Not bad. Not bad.

    The calamari with tomato crudo and jalepeno alioli--delish. Definitely the winner of the meal.

    The seared scallops, couscous, pine nuts and raisins sounded interesting. I was certain it would be delicious but we were both left disappointed. *sigh* The scallops hardly qualified as being seared and the flavor combination simply didn't work.

    But oh--here comes the saving grace. Yes, we decided to forego our size 26 appetites and went for desert. The flan--coconut, to be specific. I literally had a bodily reaction that I have never experienced before in my life. So we ordered another. If I could marry a desert, I think this would be the "One". Really--it was that incredible.

    So overall we had a nice experience and I'm DEFINITELY coming back for the coconut flan. Thank you to my roommate who gave me the gift certificate!

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/29/2010

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is just... 2.5 stars.  

    Call me a snob, but I got introduce to tapas in San Francisco, and nothing in Chicago has really compared (except this random place by the Diversey Blue Line).  

    Every dish is kind of dry, uninspired, and far too small.  I know tapas is meant to be small, but $4 -$10 for a dish that gives two people one bite each is too expensive!  The atmosphere is ok, the drinks are ok, and the service is ok.

    It's the kind of the place that I wouldn't object to if a group was going, but I would never select it as my primary choice.

    Long story short, there's better food in the area, for less, that doesn't even make the tapas style worthwhile.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/14/2012

    Meh.  Went on a Friday after thinking about it for a few years.    It was overcrowded, loud, and we were lucky enough to be seated in Siberia near a table of 22.  Our waiter was ok, but I am guessing the drunk cougar table next to us was sucking down his time and patience.  The one thing I did like is they have Pintxos, so it gave us a chance to do a little sampling before settling in on dishes.    For the amount of food you get, the prices are ok, but the quality was nowhere near what I had at Meze or that I am used to at Emilios.    So for our Pintxos, we had the chorizo-wrapped medjool date & cheese, and the chorizo was really greasy, the dates not super soft.  Next!  ahi tuna poached in olive oil on avocado toast.  This was good.   Next: mushroom & rice croqueta, pretty bland.  I then switched over to butternut squash & cheese toast, kale & apple salad .  It was really good.   My dinner companions had albondigas al jeréz, meatballs in tomato sauce, which they said were good but bland. Higher on the list of my fellow dinner goers were: citrus-cured salmon, cucumber, crema & toast, spiced lamb kebabs with lemon, mint & tomato, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce and paella con pollo y verduras.   It was restaurant week, so they all got desserts with their restaurant week menu.  The highest rated were the carmelized banana, and the dulce de leche.    Honestly, although I am complaining about the table next to us, we all hedged bets on the bill, which was for 21 women and one guy.   We guessed the guy in the suit picked up the check for.....$1700.  We asked our waiter.  I think he was so glad when they left he wanted to sit down with us.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/19/2009

    My fiance and I came here with my sister and her husband for New Year's brunch in our pajamas - it was not only encouraged but they received gift certificates for the amount you spent that day.  How cool is that?

    The food was amazing.  Not exactly what I would have liked to eat first thing in the morning as it is tapas but the grilled octopus was sublimely excellent.  The baked goat cheese with points of toast had a creamy, pungent flavor that I could not stop eating.  Everything was tasty and the setting was entertaining.  I am not sure how it is on regular days/nights but we had a reservation and were seated immediately.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/6/2011

    One of the better tapas restaurants in the city of the Chicago.  I ate here with a good friend at the bar because wait times can be somewhat insane so either get reservations or order some sangria.  I did not have a single bad tapas so go nuts on the menu just be prepared of the wait.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/4/2013

    This place was highly recommended by friends. We sat at bar since there was a 45 min wait for a table. Bartender and waiter were nice and professional. Red sangria was good. Tapas was fine but not great. For me the place seemed a bit contrived and not authentic, also a bit noisy and compartmentalized. I personally prefer Iberico more.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/30/2011

    I loved the food and the waiter was very pleasant. We were there on a Saturday night so it was very busy. We had made a reservation for 4 people (1 backed out) and when we arrived we informed the hostess it was only going to be 3 and she responded "well make up your mind is it 3 or 4 ?" This was very rude of her that is why I didn't rate 5 stars she really needs an attitude adjustment.
    We ordered several different items from the tapas menu and it all was wonderful and made us want more. We also ordered the Paella with artichoke's and i was surprised they were actually fresh not from a can like most other restaurants. The Paella was so splendid I can't wait to go back for more!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/15/2011

    Went there last night and thought it was pretty good. Extremely crowded though. Fortunately my friend made a reservation beforehand else we would have waited for a really long time.

    Food wise, I love the seared scallops. Cooked to perfection! The date wrapped with bacon tapas was excellent too. I initially didn't think I'll like it because I don't really eat dates, but it was a good combination - bacon and dates. I love the mango sangria they had as a special last night.

    Service was great too! Our guy was friendly and attentive to our needs.

    I'll go back for sure! =)

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/13/2011
    1 check-in

    The restaurant gets super crowded so make sure you have a reservation. The cafe reminds me of my trip to Spain, as everything is Tapas style.

    So here is is what we ordered:

    Black Raspberry Sangria: Yummy
    Passion Fruit Sangria: Good, but it got too sweet for me

    Pintoxs Platter: Thanks to Yelp we got this bad boy for free! Everything was good except the Ahi Tuna which was bland. My fav was the spanish cheese and quince.

    Spicy Potatoes w/ Tomato Alioli: I saw reviews about people raving about this dish, but it was just okay for me. How exciting can potatoes get?

    Empanadas: Delicious! Not too heavy and the dough was moist
    Beef - Ehh, skip it
    Chicken: My fav of the bunch
    Lamb: Do not attempt to try

    Braised Lamb, Spinach, Couscous & Almonds: Very good, flavorful, and the lamb was tender but the sauce is a bit on the sweet side

    Paella Valenciana: Yummy! Not too dry, not too wet, just the perfect about of moistness

    Stuffed Mushrooms: Just Okay

    Def give this place a try if youre in the area

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/19/2010

    This tapas place is all the rave, and I see why! Despite the wait being about an hour and a half, everything about this joint is great.

    It's loud, vibrant, energetic, and has good food? More like great food! Yumm! There are so many choices here it's hard to choose. But I promise, once you go through your first order, you will order more.

    Because it's tapas, we ordered many different dishes. Probably 12. The most memorable were more like unforgettable. The empendadas were fantastic. The lamb was braised to perfection and served with flavorful suateed veggies in the lamb fat/oil. The prawns were also a favorite of mine. Greasy normally doesn't do it for me, but the greasiness of some of the dishes hit home!

    My favorite part of the meal was the wine! We ordered raspberry sangria which was obviously served with fruit. Sweet, rich, all good! The one critique about the food I have is that the desserts were too small to be a tapas shared amgunst folks. I could eat them in one bite. I might not be a fair judge, but come on!

    The service needs to be improved. Sure the place is busy. That doesn't leave room for excuses for not getting drunk orders right away. Or having to flag your waiter down with a waving napkin. This isn't a rodeo show!

    I had a great night of food and entertaininment here. This place is hoppin', young, and just plain good.

    Itty bitty eats with the taste that packs a punch.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/11/2012

    Every time we visit Chicago, we go to cafe BaBaReeba. The food continues to be great. The service was excellent. The sangria was tasty. The baby octopus with potatoes has always been a favorite. The goat cheese with tomato sauce was good. Lots of great small plate choices. Will come back next year

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/23/2011
    1 check-in

    I'm probably echoing many of the reviews here but ...

    We had reservations and were seated when the entire party had arrived.  There were 5 of us so we split 2 pitchers of the house sangria and took turns ordering something to share.  I also had a check-in freebie from yelp!

    Overall a bit pricey but not bad when you're splitting it 5 ways!  Try something new and relax with friends!  It's fast, tasty, and worth it!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/27/2013

    While I have been here a few times in the past and always had a good experience, I was blown away this past weekend when a friend of mine had their wedding ceremony/reception at Ba-Ba-Reeba.  As I'm sure goes without saying, the food was fantastic and the sangria was amazing.  What really made my experience over-the-top-oh-my-goodness-gracious-incredible was the level of service we received.  The venue itself is great in both flavor in ambiance, but we literally could not have had better service or a more accommodating staff, which really made the experience all the more beautiful.  I was so impressed that I demanded names of the people working in our section.  That being said, I would like to give a HUGE thank you to Ryan Davis, Johnny Jarra, Hector Saucedo, Marcos Mendoza, and Tomas Jimenez.  Give these fellas a raise!  They truly went out of their way to ensure we had a special (verging on magical) evening, and I'll be recommending Ba-Ba-Reeba to anyone I know looking to celebrate such a special occasion.  Thank you again, and I will see you next time!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/30/2013

    This is my go-to restaurant in the city-- I have been many times since I moved to Chi in '06 and have never been disappointed, especially in the FOOD!  I always take my guests here and my boyfriend and I tend to gravitate to Ba-Ba-Reeba for our date nights (doesn't hurt that it's right around the corner)!  5 stars for the food (I love it) 3.5 or 4 for ambiance (can get crowded and a bit loud).  It feels like it's become a little more impersonal lately and that's its main downfall in my eyes.  The staff is always cordial, but it's not quite the same friendly/familiar feel as it was a couple years back.  That will never stop me from coming here or recommending it to others, since I do absolutely love the food!!

    Tapas highlights:
    --Short ribs with mashed potatoes-- very, very good.  Potatoes are to die for, meat is tender
    --Stuffed mushrooms- the sauce is the best thing ever, like a hollandaise but somehow butterier... yes please.
    --Beef skewers with caramelized onions & horseradish- great
    --Endive and blue cheese salad- fantastic, I love the sweet membrillo
    --Garlic potato salad- Authentic, EXACTLY like the one I frequently devoured for lunch in Madrid the summer I lived there.  (Disclaimer- not a first date food, lots of garlic, but so good)!!!
    --Tortilla w/ potato and onion-- also yummy, satisfying, and authentic
    --Sweet potatoes with pomegranate alioli- GREAT
    --REQUEST:  Ba-Ba-Reeba, if you read this, PLEASE bring back the scallops with couscous, pine nuts, and dates (or raisins? Forgive me, it's been a while since they were on the menu).  This was one of the most delicious things you offered!  

    Wine:  Interesting selection, not too crazy pricey.  I'm generally a Sauvignon Blanc drinker, so I enjoy the Las Brisas.  It's similar to a Sauv. Blanc.

    Good happy hour at the bar.  

    Yes, it's owned by Lettuce Entertain You, which owns tons of other restaurants, but this is not a chain!  And I must say that LEYE does know what they're doing-- I've been to plenty of other tapas restaurants in the city and I haven't enjoyed the food at any as much as at Ba-Ba-Reeba.  

    ***Also, if you go for brunch, they have a great bloody mary bar.  There is gazpacho. To put in your bloody.  So perfect for a Spanish spot and delicious!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 1.0 star rating
    1/13/2011

    I think I needed a restaurant to inspire me to write my first review on yelp. This place was it - so awful that I have to share with others to hopefully save you a trip here. I eat out like it is my job and this was by far the worst tapas restaurant I  have ever been to. Came on a weeknight for a quick dinner. Had a 30 minute wait and when we were seated, the waiter took his time coming around to our table. We place our order and tapas start coming out but he managed to completely forget about my sister's sangria order. With the lack of service, she didn't receive it until we were eating our last order of tapas because it took that long for one of the numerous people we flagged down to actually go tell our server he forgot about the drink! His excuse, "Oh sorry, I couldn't read my own handwriting!" Wow, I mean wow. There are so many things I could say right now but its just too easy so I will pass. I am sure you just thought of a few things yourself.

    Anyway, on to the food! First the bacon-wrapped dates. Gross. Burnt and greasy. I've had much better at other tapas restaurants. This is a hard one to mess up but they managed. Second, chicken and ham croquettas. Meh. Tasted like nothing in particular and the dipping sauces didn't complement the dish. Third, the shortrib with mashed potatoes. The most decent dish of the night but the mashed potatoes tasted like they came from a box. Last was the chicken and chorizo sausage skewers. Wow, undercooked chicken and the worst tasting chorizo sausage I have ever had the misfortune of putting in my mouth. I love chorizo sausage so that was the final straw for me. After bad service and poor quality food we left there smelling like the stench of grease that overpowers the entire restaurant. You are better off at any other tapas restaurant in the city. Bye bye Ba-Ba-Reeba, never again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/27/2013

    Great food. Energetic but not too loud. Service was great. I was in a seat that got whacked by a door 3 times and the manager came over and personally apologized, then brought us a pitcher of sangria. It was not expected, but really appreciated   Can't wait to go back for more tapas!

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/18/2011

    I went to this place over a year ago so I'm going from memory on this one.  

    It was just ok.  Some of the best sangria around, but I somewhat remember it being expensive $9-10 a glass - you'd be better going with friends and getting a pitcher.  The food was great.  Me and my lady got a bunch of tapas to share and the steak on a skewer.  That steak was a little more expensive, but well worth it.  I think I dropped about $80 for two of us.  Overall not too bad.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/13/2011

    Went here for a friend's birthday dinner last weekend.

    The service was great.
    The food was deelish!
    The white peach sangria was tantalizing :)

    The birthday cake I brought along to help her celebrate was great too!

    I want to go back right now.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/3/2013

    My hubby and I celebrated our birthdays here last night. We really enjoyed this restaurant. Hubby preferred it over Cafe Iberico; I thought they were comparable, but liked that Cafe Ba Ba Reeba does reservations.
    The staff was very friendly and wished us a happy birthday when we arrived. We had to wait about 10 minutes for a table, which we kind of expected since the place was packed. Our server was knowledgeable about the dishes. My one word of advice is listen to the server regarding the number of tapas to order. We did not and we were beyond full!
    All of the food and drinks were delicious. We had red sangria, queso de cabra, patatas bravas, a beef empanada, and chicken paella (which we mostly are eating as leftovers today). While the paella was great, we think we will skip it next time so we can try a couple more tapas.
    We were too full for dessert, so the manager comped the sangria, which I thought was really nice.
    We were both happy that we chose to have our birthday dinner here and will definitely return.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/9/2011

    Authentic Spanish. Great tortilla. Great vibe. I went for tapas on a Sunday, and accidentally walked into brunch. But it was amazing. Brunch tapas! The spinach crepe was too good. I have been talking about it for a week now.
    Yum. yum. Yum.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/12/2011
    2 check-ins

    Oh Cafe Ba-ba-ree-ba,
    Look what you achieve-a,
    Your Paella especialidad,
    was some of the best I've ever had,
    you shall remain por todos los dias.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/9/2011

    The first time I tried their white peach sangria i almost cried... i never thought i would find a drink i like. ok, fruity drinks, sangria! i will keep that in mind from now on.

    but im scared to try it else where... theirs taste so good! though once i didn't eat enough food with it and i got a bit tipsy... mmm be careful and not be fooled by their innocent taste!

    now to food. small dishes work great among a group i think. People get to try many different things. Try the platter if you never had it before! Get the stuffed mushrooms!! get the scallops (though only 3 of them they taste soo good) ! and definitely try the sangria!

    The environment is great. I prefer to sit outdoor as long as it's not too humid/hot. You get to eat delicious food, drink a nice sangria, all while sitting in a light breeze under small twinkling lights! The service is fantastic. Everybody is just so nice. Once I planned on taking my bf to here for dinner but his flight got delayed... I called in to cancel my reservation and to inquire about the time of last sitting. They told me as long as we get there before midnight they can sit us! We made there around 11:30pm and there were still a lot of people enjoying the air in the patio. it was such a good night and i thank them for that.

    mmm some problems I had... i eat a lot, and when im not 120% full i don't think im happy... so when visiting by myself, i ordered the platter, the salmon, the steak, and maybe some other things... it tends to drive up the cost :/ initially when i didn't know what to order, i tend to become critical over the food considering the portion and the price. The blue cheese steak was mostly just fried chips... the steak that comes with market vegetable came with vegetable that resembled overcooked onion... im still curious what it was... salmon was dry and made me miss at the salmon at Chili's... but eventually you figure things out! you order the ones you like, like stuffed mushrooms, scallops, and sangria! and you appreciate sitting in their patio in a summer night, either by yourself or with a loved one.

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/7/2011

    I have been here twice. Once a long time ago with my big bro. We were tucked away in the back in a nice, but busy, spot. On a Wednesday night it was no problem.

    Fast forward four years and it was a very different experience. It's always strange when you go with a big group of clients mostly because you want to spend time talking and not necessarily people-watching or being constantly bumped. We arrived shortly after 630p on a Thursday night. At first it wasn't busy. But then it got insanely busy.

    What was nice was the food and beverages. Both were really quite good. We also took the time to get the paella to split with the table, which was well worth the wait. They had a great selection of adult beverages to make anyone happy. The desserts  were adorable! I say that because we got two sampler orders and split them, which was the right size and the right flavors. It's a very well-considered menu on the whole.

    But half the experience is the experience. The wait staff was not very attentive and I would also venture she was overwhelmed. It would take 20 minutes (minimum) to get drinks. Luckily others handled delivering the food. And parking. It's street or valet. And street is nearly impossible, though we had good luck there.

    Overall: if you are going with a group to have a blast or if it's an intimate date you're after, this is the place. I mark it two stars for the service and the host's ambivalence to stuffing patrons in like sardines. I would go again, but in a smaller group for sure.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/29/2010

    Stopped in tonight on a rainy Monday after I realized two of my favorite Mexican restaurants were not open on Monday. Tapas seemed like the next best option. Ba-Ba-Reeba has been on my list of "need to try" and tonight was the night.

    The restaurant itself was fairly busy which is great for a Monday night, so my friend and I sat down at the bar. I tried the Passion Fruit Sangria which was pretty awesome. The bartender told me their specialty was the Mango Sangria, but I'm not one for Mango..so if you are you should get on that. Next drink wise I had a mean margarita. It was delish.

    For food we tried the following:

    *goat cheese croqueta
    *spicy potatoes with tomato alioli
    *beef tenderloin & blue cheese
    *roast dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette
    *roasted chicken empanada

    Some standouts to me were the spicy potatoes (amazing. loved it), as well as the dates wrapped in bacon. YUM. All else was great as well so try it out. I do wish I had ordered some of the seafood options but I was simply getting too full.

    I always feel Tapas is better when more people are involved. Then I'm able to try more options on the menu. But this just leaves me with an excuse to come on back.

    We ended our meal with some desert, because a lady always needs some sweetness in her life. We tried the following:

    *dulce de leche tres cake (I've had better, but it was good).
    *Marcona Almond Tart (AMAZING!!)
    *Spanish Brownie (Delightful).

    Cute little restaurant overall. The decor was nice and warm for the holiday season with garland and lights. The music was refreshing and relaxing. Service was quick and our bartender was very friendly offering some of her favorites.

    I will be back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/23/2012

    I love Café-Ba-Ba-Reeba. It has a great menu and such a vibrant atmosphere. I've come here a number of times with rather large groups and still had great service. The dates, baked goat cheese, spicy potatoes, and beef tenderloin are some of my favorites. The sangria is great too - I'd recommend the standard red or white over the flavored versions.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/14/2008
    Listed in 5-Star Restaurants

    I love food in New York.  However, the one thing that just isn't done well here is tapas.  Ba-Ba-Reeba simply puts the Big Apple to shame.

    Last time in town, I took my family here, and they liked it.  This includes my grandfather who scoffs at change.  The sangria selection is fantastic.  It'd be nice if it were a bit stronger, but I'll take taste over potency any day.  The paella was also really good, which surprised me.  In theory I shouldn't have been, as pretty much everything there is delicious, but it's good to know.

    The atmosphere is pretty lively.  Getting in can sometimes be a trick due to its location and people realizing that it's delicious.  Yes, there are many options for tapas in Chicago.  Some less-traveled and less-hyped.  But sometimes there's a reason for the hype.  Believe.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/27/2011

    Went here for brunch the other day, and it was awesome! Brunch tapas is the most genius idea ever, you can get bite sized french toast or pancakes!
    I had their eggs benedict, the eggs were perfectly poached, the only downside was there reinvention of hollandaise sauce... why change a good thing? But everything else was amazing, I will be back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/14/2013

    After walking around shopping on an empty stomach, we luckily decided to stop here.  Excellent spot with attentive, fairly quick service.  Sufficient options for the vegetarian palate. Good value for tapas.

    The passion sangia was a great start, and we finished with our waiter's selection of bite size desserts.  Divine.  We'll definitely be back with friends.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/1/2010

    I was taken to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba this past weekend on a date. I was thinking that this could be really great--small plates, little bites to share--romantic!

    Eh, not so much. I think it may be really fun if you were to go in a big group but for just the two of us it was a bit much.

    A few things kept me from feeling the love. First, it was really, really loud so conversation was difficult. Second, the floor was so super slippery that I almost fell twice just walking to our table--no sexy swagger for me. Heels and a slick floor=bad news. I mentioned this to the hostess who said, "Yes, the floor here really is slippery. It gets worse as the night goes on." Ew. What does that mean? I don't want to know what makes the floor slippery over the course of an evening--especially right before I am about to eat there. Third, the sangria was nothing to cheer about.

    On the other hand, the food was great. We picked a handful of things to try and each one was delicious. Empanadas, Goat Cheese, Sausage, etc., it was all really good.

    I would like to go back and lounge a while with a group of friends but I will save my dates for more intimate spots.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/18/2010
    1 check-in

    We went here with friends while visiting Chicago. The atmosphere was nice. A little loud, but fun. We had reservations so, got seated after about a 5 minute wait. We were seated outside in a tent. They had insulated it well, so it wasn't really cold.

    The food was good. standard tapas. Nothing really out of the ordinary. To start they gave us bread with olive oil. It was OK.

    For dinner, we got

    croqueta de queso de cabra (goat cheese croqueta) -- This was my favorite dish. I had 2 pieces. Could have had more.

    tortilla española (warm potato & onion omelette) -- This is the first time I've had this warm. I liked it better than cold. Would order it again.

    pimientos de padron fritos (fried green peppers & coarse salt) -- This didn't have enough salt. Tasted kinda bland and was also oily. We've had much better ones in Boston and Madrid.

    queso de cabra al horno (goat cheese baked in tomato sauce) -- This was quite good. Tomato sauce was nicely seasoned.

    empanada de championes (mushroom empanada with porcini alioli) -- I am not a huge fan of mushrooms, but people who had it said they liked it.

    patatas bravas (spicy potatoes with tomato alioli) -- Good, but, i've had better.

    For drinks my husband got a sangria which he said was good. One of my friends got diet coke and the server was a little tardy with the refills. The server did come by a few times to make sure that we had everything we wanted.

    Overall a good food experience. Would go here again if other people wanted to.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/2/2013

    Came here with my best friend and her parents! The tapas were great!! the paella was ok. I thought it was a little bland, ended up adding the patatas bravas sauce to it to spice it up. It was perfect for a big group of people gathering since it can be family style. I would go back for the Patatas Bravas alone!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/19/2012
    1 check-in

    Good food, friendly staff, relaxing atmosphere.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/24/2010

    Ba-Ba-Reeba's potential is right there for the taking, but two major flaws keep it from a very attainable 5-star rating.

    The food was pretty solid when we went.  The cold tapas in our order were nothing too bad, but nothing too great either. The meats and cheeses were pretty good, but it doesn't really take too much work.

    The hot tapas were infinitely better. Meatballs in sherry tomato sauce, roasted dates with bacon in an apple vinagrette, not QUITE on par with the bacon-dates at HB, but probably a lot cheaper.  The mushrooms stuffed with spinach and manchego cheese were alright as well. The mushrooms were nice and meaty, not squishy or rotten at all.

    For dessert, I highly recommend the caramel marcona almond tart. It is fantastic. I do not recommend the chocolate truffle cake. Contrary to popular legend, there IS a thing as too much chocolate, and the chocolate truffle cake is just  TOO rich.

    I'd be happy to give BaBaReeba 5 stars for the atmopshere, great appetizers, and overall good time. That being said, there is room for improvement.

    1) The tapas came out all at once. While I understand this is kind of the idea, when you have 12 people ordering 8 different menu items, in quantities of 3-4 each,  plus drinks, the table gets a bit crowded if they all come out at once. Maybe bring a few out at a time, especially as the latter parts of the evening saw the wait staff disappear. Not only did it make for a crowded table, but contrary to what I've known about Spanish dining (or good dining in general, is that it made the meal feel rushed, like they were trying to get us out the door ASAP.
    2.) Their sangria.....SUCKED. I'm sorry. It's a tapas restaurant. Sangria is supposed to be your thing, guys, and it was weak as hell. I know it was made with white wine, not red, but my God. It tasted like apple slices floating in water. I was not impressed in the slightest.

    Hot tapas = 5 stars minus hit-or-miss service minus weak drinks = 3 stars.

    I wouldn't mind taking a date here, but c'mon folks. These things count if you're going to eat out.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/21/2012

    Great brunch and Bloody Mary bar!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/19/2011
    1 check-in

    Love tapas at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! I've been in a few times, twice for their 10pm-midnight bar specials, and it's always a pleasure!

    Pair a few tapas with their seasonal sangria (I've tried mango and peach) and you're set! Such a great way to eat a little of everything and socialize among friends. Never had a problem with an order, and everything has been delicious!

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/23/2008

    I totally enjoy you, Ba-Ba-Reeba.

    I've only ever been for their happy hour tapas from 4-7 p.m., which features lower priced tapas (but a limited menu) and drink specials.  It's not as good now as it used to be, though.  They've definitely raised the prices and limited the menu severely.  BOO.

    I like the charm of the restaurant.  It's a cute place decorated with a lot of color - it seriously kind of reminds me of a flamenco bar in Barcelona.  Fun times.  

    I think the food is good and the portions are a nice size for a tapas restaurant.  The bar service is always nice (again, I've never actually sat down and eaten in the restaurant) and you still get a server if you're at a table for the happy hour tapas.  I've always had a pleasant experience at Ba-Ba-Reeba and I'd go back again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/25/2012
    Listed in I'll be back

    If you have been wanting to jump in on the Tapas trend going on here in Chicago then Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is the place to try it! The prices are way better than Tavernita and the food just as good. I recommend the scallops, patatas bravas or chicken empanada but I don't think you could go wrong with any of the dishes.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/16/2012
    2 check-ins

    Love all of the different types of sangria. I've been going here for years and it's always fun...especially when it's not crowded!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/16/2012

    Everything was very good. We had the peach sangria and lots of plates. I can't remember everything but we had asparagus, spicy potatoes, beef tenderloin which was awesome!, shrimp, deserts. Definitely had a lot more plates but everything just seemed delicious. Cool place with a lively, vibrant atmosphere and attentive service.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/13/2012

    Excellent sangria and tapas. Tried most of the favorites that are highlighted in red and they did not dissapoint!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/23/2009

    Overall, our experience was fabulous! Hip decorations, attentive waiter, and fast food service was definitely a plus. We ordered a lot of food, and all of them were served in a way that was creative and fun - exactly what we wanted!

    RATINGS:

    Overall: 4/5

    Taste: 4/5 (Most of the dishes were amazing but some just didn't work at all)

    Originality: 4/5 (Definitely quite a few unique tapas there!)

    Plating: 3.5/5

    Value: 3/5 (Though the food was good, it wasn't cheap!)

    Service: 3/5 (Just way too many people for the waiters to get around to in good time)

    The verdict? Highly recommended restaurant, but know what to order! You may be pleasantly surprised if you keep an open mind, but don't be upset if things are too oily.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/13/2013
    1 check-in

    Came with 4 other friends and split a good amount of tapas and appetizers.  Highly recommend the chorizo wrapped dates and the cured salmon!  Overall paid 20 including tip/tax.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/8/2012
    2 check-ins

    Went with my wife and a couple of friends on a Saturday night.  The place was pretty busy when we arrived (9pm) but we were seated right away.  Maybe we got lucky as we had forgotten to make a reservation.  The drink selection was above average, the food was phenomenal.  Price was a little more than I expected, but not bad.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/6/2011

    Great place for dinner tapas, or even better -- brunch tapas! I love that idea, because it makes sharing a ton of food so much easier at brunch, which I tend to do anyways.  

    Everything I've had here is pretty good; go with what you feel like. If it sounds greasy, it probably is, but still delicious. Looks like they change their menu somewhat regularly, but I particularly liked their fried doughnuts w a dark chocolate dipping sauce when I was there for brunch over a year ago.

    Just a fun atmosphere.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/5/2013

    Went here for Sunday brunch while my parents came to visit(check up on me) last wkend. Overall, this restaurant puts on a really nice brunch, and the new patio is really pretty and a nice ambiance. It's a nice classy, place to bring guests too and not pretentious at all. In fact, the waitstaff is always so friendly and attentive, and know their menu well and offer great suggestions. Their sangrias are delicious and freshest I've ever had- definitely try the passion fruit sangria. The brunch menu is tasty, and very reasonable prices on the brunch tapas. The French toast is to die for, and since it is small, you don't feel like a total glutton. The shortcomings to me, as odd as it sounds, are the chairs. The patio has metal, tiny, flimsy chairs which I found kind of odd and uncomfortable. They reminded me of the cheap folding chairs from a grade school assembly or something. I feel like they could upgrade a bit here. Also, as delicious as everything on the menu is, there's not a huge selection and the menu is rarely updated. Maybe it's just me, but I like choices. Overall, a classic tapas restaurant in the heart of LP, that's sure to be a crowd pleaser.

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/4/2011

    I used to love this place but just dont' think I can go back again...at least for awhile. Went here last night and LOVED the goat cheese croquette and chorizo wrapped date but was severely disappointed (and even slightly disgusted) by the beef empanada and the beef brisket. The brisket was seriously inedible. It makes me a little sick to think about now, well that and the fact that I've had a stomach ache ever since having even a small bite. It may have just been poor ordering but I think I'll stick to the better tapas places out there (People Lounge, Iberico). Sorry Ba Ba, if I could JUST eat goat cheese croquettes and chorizo wrapped dates for dinner, I'd come back often. Unfortunately, it's just not enough any more.

    However, I am interested to try the brunch.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/4/2011

    Went to this restaurant for Sunday lunch and loved it! We had a table on the patio which made for a pleasant summer meal. There is also plenty of seating inside. The service was good and we didn't have to wait for a table which is always a plus.

    The tapas were fantastic, everything we had was very good and tasty. We had:
    *the rioja braised short ribs with mashed potatoes
    *beef tenderloin & blue cheese
    *roast dates with bacon and apple vinaigrette
    *seared scallops with spinach, raisins & pine nuts
    *seared Spanish sausages.

    I can recommend all of the above as well as the delicious blackberry sangria....Loved it!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/25/2011

    With 839 reviews, mine really doesn't matter, but here goes:  I went on a Friday night around 7:00, with no reservations. I usually hate to wait, but wifey gave me that "look" which I interpreted as "For once in your f*cking life will you please wait." Hey, there was a bar, that was very well staffed, so I agreed. Within 10 minutes we snagged a few stools at the bar, and were immediately approached by one of the 4 bartenders they had working. We opted with the white Sangria, which was very tasty, and reasonably priced at $6 a glass.

    Exactly an hour later, as the Hostess promised, we were seated. Once again, the restaurant area was very well staffed. Our server was prompt, polite, and we never had to wait for water or a fresh glass of Sangria. We had a gift card, so gluttony seemed appropriate. Here's what we sampled:

    Beef Tenderloin w/ Blue Cheese:  EXCELLENT, and VERY tender!
    Bacon Wrapped Dates:  Uh, not nearly as good as 1492
    Chorizo Wrapped Dates:  AWESOME!
    Goat Cheese Baked in Tomato Sauce:  Average
    Spicy Potatos: Much better than 1492!

    Basically, the tapas were hit and miss. Some were excellent, and some were mediocre. I still prefer 1492 better than Ba-Ba-Reeba, but the service here is second to none.

    Now, the one minor complaint that I have is Ba-Ba- Reeba packs you into this restaurant like sardines. If you suffer from Claustrophobia, I'd think twice about dining here on a busy night. Also, the one men's washroom, should say "circle jerk" on the door. The two measly urinals are so damn close to each other, your junk is basically all over the dude next to you. And, the one stall is even too small for a little person.

    All in all: 5 stars for the service. 3 stars for the food and midget washroom.

    I'll will return...on a less busy night.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/6/2011

    I want to fill a bathtub of bacon-wrapped dates and go to town. Those succulent morsels are all I need to make me happy.

    I've been here a few times and have never been disappointed. Fun atmosphere (maybe a few too many bachelorettes, though). Not too noisy, not too quiet, which is great. I've never had to wait very long - I either plan ahead and make a reservation, or come in the winter on a week night.

    The food is stupendous. Again, I highly recommend the dates. The seared Spanish sausages are great - you get a lot of meat, definitely the most bang for your buck. Stuffed mushroom caps were another crowd pleaser!

    Next time I would stay away from the serrano ham plate. It was pretty good, but nothing exciting. I think it would be better as a gnoshing dish while waiting at the bar, something you can snack on while waiting or drinking. As it is, we left half of it untouched while we sampled more flavorful fare!

    Also, little tip - sign up for their text club. You'll get periodic texts offering free tapas!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/13/2011 Updated review

    Bumpin' it up a star because I finally got to sit in the restaurant this time! Plus it wasn't as crowded, we had reservations so no wait and it stayed cool inside.

    Had a group of 8 girls and we were seated even before our 7pm reservations. The waiter was prompt and fairly personable, but towards the end of the night he got busy and it took us 20 min to pay our check.

    This restaurant is huge and I like how the tables aren't super close to one another. You can have a conversation and keep it private!

    The food was the same....delicious! Though I thought I remembered the spanish cheese tray to be bigger. Cutting down on sizes? The food came out very fast which was appreciated since we were all very hungry.

    Sangria was once again just ok. For $19/pitcher (prices have gone up) it's worth it on a warm night.

    It was only $22/person including tax and tip. Seriously can't go wrong with this place for a great night out on a budget!

    3.0 star rating
    3/23/2010 Previous review
    I wish I could give more stars but there are reasons as to why only 3.

    First off, our wait time was…
    Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    11/13/2012

    Somehow I lived in Lincoln Park for four years and managed to never visit this place--walked by it about a thousand times, sure, but never stopped in. Saturday night my cousin and her fiancé were in town from Grand Rapids, and while they had originally wanted to try Kuma's, they balked at the idea of a two-hour wait. He had been to Café Ba-Ba-Reeba once before; Café Ba-Ba-Reeba it would be.
        Oh, but speaking of two-hour waits, that's precisely what we were presented with upon arrival. I had called earlier in the evening to attempt to make a reservation, and after I was told that the only time slots available were 4:30 and 10:30, we agreed to take a chance in the 8 o'clock hour. Oof.
        I'll give Café BBR this, though: Our name was called almost exactly two hours after we arrived. I'm talking to the minute. And the two hours didn't end up being so bad: We drank a pitcher of sangria in the bar while we were waiting for our table.
        We went about the ordering process in typical nerd fashion: We agreed that we would order eight dishes for the four of us, so everyone would write down their top two choices followed by a third "kind of want"-type choice. And, hurrah!, there was enough overlap so that everyone got all three items on his/her wish list. When going to a tapas restaurant, I highly recommend bringing a small notepad and pen. We were feeling so good about this that we threw in one more item, the meatballs, which, as it happened, would have been a regrettable omission.
        Pear sangria was also ordered. Upon first sip, my cousin remarked, "Oh, that's going to be a problem." She meant this in a good way, in case that wasn't clear. Pear sangria=revelation.
        Let me make this easy. Here are the items we ordered: artisanal cheese, garlic potato salad, spicy potatoes with tomato alioli (another cousin quote: "Alioli makes everything better"), goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, rioja-braised short ribs with mashed potatoes, handmade beef empanada, seared Spanish sausages, grilled salmon with herb almond pesto, and of course the aforementioned meatballs. At the meal's end, we all agreed that there wasn't a single item we would have omitted. The salmon was insanely flavorful, the empanada was overflowing with meat, and the short ribs fell away from each other in a manner that made me want to cry. Even the mashed potatoes were above average in a way that a dumb old potato is not supposed to be: cheesy, extra creamy, flavored with something else I couldn't identify, really good mashed potatoes for the love of Pete.
        I suppose you must take this review with a grain of salt, given that we were all starving and buzzed by the time the food arrived.
        Our waitress was somewhat short with us a couple times, but she likely was on the tail end of a very long day. I do like to give people the benefit of the doubt. However, when my cousin's fiancé innocently asked which spices were in the blood sausage, she pulled the whole martyr routine by making clear that she would ask someone even though she was in no mood to ask someone. When she returned ten minutes later, she said something about her manager having to "go to the basement" to find the answer. Um, okay? Again, though--probably had been a long day.
        As it happened, the unidentifiable ingredient was cinnamon. My cousin's fiancé was happy to know this.
        I will happily return to this place, and make sure I make a reservation sometime prior to the day of next time.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/5/2012
    1 check-in

    I personally think Cafe BBR is a bit overrated. The first time I went I had a nice experience (nothing too stellar but good overall) and decided to make reservations once again for a last minute birthday dinner. It wasn't too crowded or noisy which was a plus, but the food left something to be desired. The grilled calamari was fishy and extremely over salted, and the seared tuna was overcooked, as were the lamb skewers. I was irritated because I could have made those much better myself and I am no chef! I kind of felt like the chefs know that this place already has a good reputation and don't need to put much effort into the food for people to rave, even if they are raving for absolutely no reason. That being said, I still had an enjoyable time; however, the next time my tapas craving hits I will be stopping by Twist in Lakeview.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/19/2011
    Listed in Great Dates

    My sister - a tapas enthusiast - first took me here a couple years back and I've been coming ever since.  The food is incredible and the service is quick and friendly.  

    Sometimes it can get a little crowded, but it's just another part of the atmosphere for me.  Try the baked goat cheese and make sure to get a pitcher of sangria... even if you're by yourself.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/10/2012
    2 check-ins

    I love Sangria, therefore, I love Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. Their sangria is refreshing, especially now that its summer. They have various vegetarian options on their tapas menu.

    DO try their sangria and their spicy potatoes.

    DO NOT try their vegetarian croqueta. It was a waste of $2 in my opinion.

    And the most important tip, order 1 or 2 dishes at a time. You will be surprised how quickly you get full.

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  • 5.0 star rating
    11/10/2011
    3 check-ins

    I have been to this restaurant at least 15 times. With so many choices in Chicago, this is the only place I came back so many times.

    Part of it is location. I live in Lincoln Park, and it is 25 minutes walk from my apartment. However, there are a lot of places to go in Lincoln Park and I come back to Cafe Baba Reeba.

    The food is delicious. I usually order dates, beef with mashed potatoes, potatoes bravas and some seafood. Of course no tapas without a good sangria. I usually get a pitcher of red to share with my friends. Yes, the key word is to SHARE. This is not a place to go alone because you want to try so many things on the menu! From my experience perfect number is 4 and up. However, I would not recommend paella in Cafe Baba Reeba. Don't get me wrong, it is good but for a paella I go to Cafe Iberico (another great tapas place in the downtown Chicago).

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/28/2012

    I brought my grandma and mother. Afterwards my grandma couldn't stop blessing me for taking her here and my mom said it was the best food she has ever had :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/7/2011

    Last weekend I was fortunate enough to dine here with a group for a bachelorette party and I had a great time. The food was awesome, the lighting was mellow and romantic and the sangria was quite tasty.

    There were about 20 of us set up at a long table towards the back of the restaurant, so as the food started to come out things got crowded pretty fast. Several plates of our various tapas were spread out throughout the table so there was more than enough food to go around. We also had quite a few pitchers of red and white sangria spread around and the waitress brought us more bottled wine than we needed.

    I am fairly certain our menu was picked for us as we had little cards with our group and the food choices on it, and I have no problems with that. I am notorious for taking my time ordering so having someone choose for me is just the bee's knee's (or spider's elbow?). The endive salad was light and fruity, the chicken skewers and mayo-y dipping sauce were awesome, but the best of all was the spicy potato dish. On their own, those potatoes are great, but with the orange sauce that comes on the side they are about 10 times better.

    After about 5 or 6 rounds of tapas we were served two different kinds of paella. We had a veggie version and a chicken/pork mix. The vegetable paella was great. It was earthy and warm with a strong mushroom undertone. The chicken and pork, however, was awful. The meat did not taste or smell appealing and the texture of the rice was odd, a little too dry.

    The meal was finished with 3 disappointing little deserts. I know tapas have small portions, but I like my deserts in big portions! There was one of each dessert for about every 3 people so, the little mini-cakes were even less satisfying. My half-bite of chocolate cake from what I could tell was good. There was a nut-log looking tart? that was just not for me. I did enjoy my own little mini-flan and that was one of the highlights of the night. It was cooked perfectly and sat on a little bed of coconut flakes.

    Overall, great place with some extremely attractive ambiance going on and awesome food. The servers handled the group pretty well too. My lack of 5 stars comes from a bad batch of some chicken/ pork paella and not enough sweets at the end.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/26/2012

    I haven't eaten so well and so much in a long long time. This place was amazing! If you enjoy Spanish food and sangria drop everything and head over to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba!! There menu offers many traditional Spanish Tapas and sangria on tap! Choose from Sangria flavors like: Peach, Blackberry and Mango. The place was packed and the wait was still on when we left at 11pm. Make a reservation as early as you can as they fill up fast. Tapas are a more pricey food anywhere, so expect to pay a little more than you would at a typical restaurant. But you get what you pay for here. The food was incredible and the service was good too. Don't miss this gem while you are in Chicago!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/23/2012

    I have visited Ba Ba Reeba on several occasions for several different reasons - brunch, date night, work dinner, cocktails and appetizers at the bar, double dates - and Ba Ba Reeba is fitting for all of them. As a Lettuce restaurant you can rest assured that it's run like a well oiled, always bustling, machine. Typical of any Lettuce or LP restaurant, without (and sometimes even with) a reservation you will always have a wait, but they have a decent size bar area to try and squeeze into. The patio is great, covered and lit with hanging lights. The service is always reliable, nothing exceptional, but no complaints. I love the way the tapas menu is set up, you can pick and choose from different meats, seafoods, veg, etc. mixing and matching as you go. And since the food arrives pretty quickly, it's great to keep a menu on hand to not only remember what you order but always add more. Having been there many times, I've had many of the menu items, but the below are my standout favorites:

    - Sangria - any one of them are delicious. True, they may have a tad too much ice and could use a smidge more sangria, but then again I could always use a little more sangria
    - Bloody mary bar - sure, there are dozens of places with a build your own bloody mary bar, but theirs is fantastic. You pick your vodka and your given a glass to fill with all your favorite things. They have several different tomato juices to choose from, a wide range of hot sauces and a wide assortment of the proper accoutrements - all of which are critical to a perfect bloody mary
    - Grilled Squid with Olive Oil & Garlic - I honestly crave this quite often. The squid is perfectly grilled and seasoned with a nice balance of oil, acid and herbs.
    - Avocado Pintxo Toast - Just a small bite of toasty bread smeared with avocado, it's a nice, fresh, easy bite
    - Artisanal Cheese Plate - I imagine the cheeses change quite often, but it's a guaranteed good plate of bites and I've never been disappointed

    Four stars for good service, consistent food and a great standby. It's nothing spectacular or mind blowing but definitely can be trusted for a good evening

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/14/2009

    Cafe BBR is very good! The service was mediocre at first (took 10 minutes to get the server), but once she arrived, she was fantastic. We ordered practically everything 2 people could eat: Short ribs, baked goat cheese, dates wrapped in bacon, spicy potatoes, scallops, beef empinada and then the 6 things on top as part of the tasting menu. For dessert we got the carmelized banana and chocolate cake (they actually comped our dessert because of the initial wait ..that won me over).

    The dates were by far the best. The bacon was crispy and the dates were everything you would hope for. The spicy potatoes were indeed spicy and you got a healthy sized portion. The short ribs literally fell apart (thats good!) and the mashed potatoes that came with it was nice too. I think the baked goat cheese was good, but forgettable.

    On the whole, I would go back again to try more dishes! All of the steak ones looked amazing. Everyone seemed to be getting empinadas, baked goat cheese, spicy potatoes, and this steak with blue cheese on it. We skipped on the steak (opted for short ribs instead), but if I went back I would get it. It looked quite tasty! But yes, the flavors were good, nice texture changes, and a good variety of options.

    My only eh moment was that some of the dishes seemed a little oily. The dates were sitting in a puddle of oil as was this shrimp dish we ordered. The empinada and potatoes had some residual oil on them as well.

    I will be back! Thanks Cafe BBR. Ps, they have an awesome patio which I am sure would be beautiful in summer, especially a nice area in Lincoln Park.

    Oh, very close to the Armitage Brown Line stop or the Halsted bus.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/23/2011
    1 check-in

    Look, it's good but it's not orgasmic.

    There's always way too many people that are too close for comfort and you'll have to scream to get a sentence out to your table mate.

    Some items are tasty -- the potato omelette and the giant shrimp skewers are a must try.

    The downsides to the restaurant are that it feels like a cheap, loud and overstuffed bar and the waiters and hostesses are not the most cheerie, warm bunch--especially not on a crazy packed weekend night.

    There's better places for the food and drink....though the Sangria is actually quite good--if you can forgive all the rest.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/24/2012

    Goto place when people are in from out of town.  So good.

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/8/2011

    Cafe Iberico seems a bit more authentic and it is also cheaper. However, if you live in Lincoln Park, Ba-Ba-Reeba is another good option. Get the bacon wrapped dates! They're delicious. They also have a lot of different sangria options here. I haven't had anything bad here and the service is generally pretty good, I just personally prefer Cafe Iberico.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/27/2011

    I haven't been here in years and I am glad that I went back.  The atmosphere is fun and loud and exciting but you definitely need a reservation.

    I had the Atlantic salmon, the goat cheese with marinara, the stuffed mushrooms and the roasted eggplant with goat cheese. (Well I shared all four of these dishes, I don't think that I could eat all of that!) Everything came quickly and was hot hot hot (except for the dishes that were supposed to be cold) All was good (the goat cheese is always my favorite)

    I will try and come back sooner rather than later.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/22/2013

    A large group of us went Saturday.  The place is jumping and the crowd is younger than our contemporaries, but we didn't feel out of place.  The food was terrific, as was the service.  Our daughter, who has been going there since it opened several years ago, marveled at how it has been able to maintain the consistency of excellence.  It must be because of great managers like "Jessica" who made sure that the evening was perfect.  Bravo!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/4/2011 Updated review

    2nd time's a charm.  I was invited back by the manager to give it another whirl & I'm glad I did.   The server was very accommodating and helpful.  We had an early reservation at 6:30 and it filled up rather quickly, especially for a Wednesday- granted it was restaurant week.  

    We were first sat right in front of the kitchen which my guest wasn't enthused about so we were moved to a smaller table towards the back, sitting closely to a couple (I presume it was a new relationship budding).  While we didn't chat it up too much, they were friendly, and we shared in a laugh when a server dropped a lemon into my jacket and picked it up quickly with a low key "sorry."  It didn't bother me in the least bit, where as I can imagine how others might have reacted.

    On to the meal... this time around, we explored a few new dishes & I absolutely loved the #25 endive salad with membrillo.  This was my first time experiencing such a delightful ingredient.  I actually did research on membrillo to find out more it and I suggest for anyone to taste this sweet treat that resembles ahi tuna but tastes nothing of the sort!  The short rib on the pintxo menu was out of this world.  I had to reorder the beef tenderloin based on my own review & glad I did- although next time I want to try the rioja short rib tapa since I loved the pintxo so much.  I really wanted to order the grilled calamari but my guest doesn't do much seafood, so I gave in to her omelette request again (tasty).  I was hoping for the bread pudding I had last time too but the dessert selection had changed. We tried a few and out of the ones we ordered, I liked the marcona tart the best.

    Next time I'm in Chicago, I'm sure I'll be back.

    3.0 star rating
    2/17/2011 Previous review
    I visited this restaurant based on a recommendation of a friend who joined me. I am visiting the… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    6/19/2011

    Pros:
    Amazing service - we were in a hurry, and our server (missed his name - big, jolly guy that looks like he belongs in an old school bakery) made sure that we got our food as quick as can be
    Great food - reminiscent of what I ate during my time in Spain, but more trendy than Cafe Iberico
    Super cute patio area
    Reasonable prices

    Cons:
    A bit noisy and crowded for a thursday evening, but I couldn't really blame everyone else for wanting to get a piece of this as well

    I'll definitely have to come here again when I'm not in so much of a hurry.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/17/2010

    The key to happiness? Actually... not much.

    After sitting through a red eye to Chicago next to a passenger who jerked in his sleep every 10 minutes and a long day at work, I was in desperate need of a cocktail with marathon legs.

    There on business, the partners agreed a solid Thursday night was in order, so they took us to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba.

    With multiple sangrias on tap, a bustling venue with energetic patrons and a tapas menu that seemed like it exploded out of a flavor rainbow, sleep became a distant thought.

    The highlights: Rioja short ribs with manchego mashed potatoes, shrimp with garlic, olive oil & red pepper flakes, and the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce.

    The short ribs broke apart at the first sight of a blade, and the accompanying mashed potatoes were a carb gift basket.

    The shrimp dish highlighted the garlic which permeated in every bite and the goat cheese was, well, dairy perfection. A lactose intolerant person could marry a family of cheese after swooping this dish.

    The venue is large, however it's spaced comfortably and you feel as if you're truly eating in someone's home dining room.

    I had a blast sitting around the table with my Chicago co workers and getting to know each one of them. As I sat around the table, I realized how simple life really is.

    New friends, great food, and a couple of pitchers of Sangria and you realize why you should always, ALWAYS rally despite how tired you may be. Life's never going to wait for you, so if you don't get out there and live it, you're going to miss out on wonderful new people who can only enrich your future in every sense.

    Chicago, thanks for a great time, I'll gladly take another red eye. Even with the elbow jerking guy...

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/15/2011 Updated review

    Gazpacho is phenomenal...I was a little unsure of a cold tomato soup, but it was soooooo good. I can't wait to go back and it's only been 3 hours!!

    As usual, I had a chicken empanada, spicy potatoes, and garlic potatoes.

    I also tried the mushroom and rice croqueta which I was not a fan...Also, a goat cheese croqueta, just o.k., and a red pepper stuffed with short ribs which was pretty good.

    I prefer Cafe Iberico for tapas. I like Cafe Ba-ba Reeba for bar food tapas, but not for a Spanish dinner. The menu at Cafe Iberico seems a little more creative.

    I can't complain about the daily happy hour specials that are only $1-$3

    I still haven't experienced the brunch and bloody mary bar, but I will get on that soon!!!

    4.0 star rating
    1/9/2011 Previous review
    Food was pretty good...I can't name everything we ordered, but among my favorite was the chicken… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    8/23/2010

    Things must have changed quite a bit since the other reviews mentioning gluten were written about this place. They now have a dedicated gluten-free menu, which is an enormous plus in my book. Though - not being super sensitive myself - I can't speak for how diligent or careful they are with cooking things gluten-free.

    Besides that huge leg-up, the tapas were good, and the sangria didn't seem to have any alcohol in it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/25/2011

    First off, I am giving 4 stars because I think Cafe BaBaReeba, though delicious, was a bit too commercialized - very trendy, items on menu were listed as English description before Spanish name, too many fancy Sangrias. I also want to say that I am a big fan of Cafe Iberico (which I also gave 4 stars). Having been to both places now, my boyfriend and I said last night that the tapas at BaBa were better, but like the Paella and Sangria at Iberico more. However, I looked at the Iberico menu before writing this review and noticed they have many of the same items (which I haven't had yet) we ordered at BaBa last night. SO I will be going back to Iberico and ordering them so I can decide which place I like better. Now for my review:

    I have heard many good things about Cafe BaBaReeba, but just went for the first time last night. I was there for my friend's birthday with about 7 other people. We had a reservation, so were seated right away, It wasn't very busy (but I assume that's because it was a Monday evening). A few of the girls with us had been there many times before and already knew what to order, so the rest of us took a quick look at the menu and nothing else seemed to jump out at us so we just went with what ever they got.

    We started with two pitchers of the WHITE PEACH SANGRIA. It was okay, but I personally would have ordered the Black Raspberry. We started off with 2 SPICY POTATOES W/ TOMATO ALIOLI, 1 GOAT CHEESE BAKED IN TOMATO SAUCE, ENDIVE SALAD, and FRIED CALAMARI. The spicy potatoes were delicious! I had never had goat cheese before, (and it tasted a bit strange at first) but it was very good. I did not try the endive salad or calamari, however, a few people commented the calamari was a bit more chewy than usual and my boyfriend said the salad was good. My boyfriend and I also ordered the PAELLA VALENCIANA for 2 (since no one else wanted it). They split it into two plates for us...I think it could have served 4, but my boyfriend ate his entire portion...I did not. We also agreed that we liked the Paella at Cafe Iberico better.

    Next we ordered 2 BEEF TENDERLOIN & BLUE CHEESE, 2 BEEF SKEWER W/ HORSERADISH AND RED ONIONS, 2 BRAISED SHORT RIB W/ MASHED POTATOES, and OCTOPUS. The beef tenderloin was fantastic...very juicy and medium rare (just how I like my beef). I did not particularly care for the beef skewer, it tasted a bit charred and was not very juicy. The braised short rib was so tender and yummy...and the mashed potatoes weren't bad either. I didn't try the octopus (not a big seafood person).

    They brought my friend a serving of the chocolate cake (which was small, because it's a tapa!) for her birthday and we sang to her. We all had a bite and it was pretty good.

    We definitely had enough food for the 8 of us and I didn't feel too full. The bill ended up being only $30/person since we only split it 7 ways (not too shabby).

    I would recommend at least going one time and I would have no objections to going again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/14/2012

    The food is great, except for the patatas bravas, they are not that great, I like the atmosphere and the red sangria is really good too!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/13/2011

    I had been hearing raves about Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for pretty much since I moved here three years ago.  Upon passing by, the place always looked very hip and exciting.

    I must say, the entire experience is very "Lettuce Entertain You".  Almost like the hallmark of a famous director, you can almost always recognize a LEY restaurant upon entering.  The general gist is frenetic, welcoming, slightly expensive, generally pretty satisfying.

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is all of the above, maybe even more than "pretty satisfying".  

    I had made a reservation for the only feasible time on Saturday, 9:00 pm.  A little late for one used to waking up at 5 am and sleeping at 9:30, but I thought I'd chance it.  We arrived a few minutes late and were told it would be a few minutes which was fine.  Even by 9 the place was swarming with Lincoln Parkians and their parents, visiting from out of town - raucous bachlelorette parties decked out in penis swag - couples on intimate dates eschewing romantic whisperings for loud conversation just to hear each other.

    We were seated and ordered quickly as we had already browsed the menu at home.  The plates came fast and furious.  Waiters seemed to be flying by tables on zip lines, dropping off plates barely fitting in descriptions of the food.  Our waiter came frequently enough, though a bit less often as the meal wore on.  

    The food was delicious.  I have this block in my head that I can never be full from (non-all-you-can-eat) sushi and tapas, but was proved wrong, as I usually am.  Between my friend and I, we had 7 plates and were plenty stuffed by the end.  Everything was cooked really well, our favorite being the incredibly simple yet delightful potatoes with aioli.  Some of the other dishes were a little more on the good, but not super-great side including the shrimp doused in garlicky butter and seared sausage (one of which tasted like a slim-jim)

    As the crowd thinned out and the sangria started to run dry, I realized that even though I could now hear the words my friend was saying, it wasn't quite as fun.  Something about being jostled just a little, being thisclose to our neighbors and a near-catastrophic run in with a sprinting waiter added to the atmosphere.

    It definitely lives up to the well-earned praise.  Just book a table ahead.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/19/2012
    13 check-ins

    I used to think this place was not so authentic, but my opinion has GREATLY changed!  Great sangria, and the tapas are really good!!!  The pimientos de padron are not quite like they are in Spain, but the other stuff I've tried is pretty good!  I ALWAYS get a pitcher of red sangria, the house platter (jamon serrano, salchichon, and chorizo with Spanish cheeses), and the bacon-wrapped dates.  You can't go wrong with any of those!  I also find the prices the be quite reasonable... probably the reason it's always SO packed.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/11/2011
    1 check-in

    We had a reservation for two this past Saturday.  We were seated right away, and drink orders were taken as soon as we sat down.  We had a half pitcher of black raspberry sangria. Fruity, and delicious.  For our food we ordered:

    -short rib pintxos-Great! I could have eaten 10.

    -mushroom and rice pintxos-Very good; would order again

    -Spinach and manchego stuffed mushrooms-Easily the best dish we had

    -Mushroom empanada-nice buttery dough, but not much inside

    -Beef Skewer- Pretty standard with some killer onions that made a 7 out of  what would have been a 5

    -Chicken Skewer-Good, but nothing special

    -Chicken Paella-Rice was cooked perfectly, and the chicken had a tasty smoke flavor

    I was satisfied overall with the food, but certainly not blown away.  The stuffed mushrooms were amazing, but everything else kind of meandered around average.  The biggest disappointment for me was the pacing of the meal.  I realize that tapas just comes out as it is ready, but we had almost our entire order come out within just a few minutes of one another.  We blinked, and the meal was over.  If I go back, I would definately hold back my ordering so that I could have a little more control over the pace of the meal.  If 3.5 stars were an option, that would probably fit this place perfectly.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/28/2010

    Was here for an event last night, sad to say it was my first experience with the place.  Right from the beginning the service was fantastic. When I arrived they were still finishing the room set-up and they asked me if I was happy with where things were of if I wanted them moved.

    I ordered a drink and it arrived promptly. They helped my guests at the front  until we were ready, and once registration was set they were quickly escorted back as they arrived. The food was good. Like any place I enjoyed some things more than others, but noting was bad -- and the Goat Cheese and Eggplant salad was fantastic. Five stars as well to the Spanish Meatballs.

    I was sorry it took me four years in Chicago to get here, but I will be back.

  • 2.0 star rating
    6/16/2013

    I don't get it. Its ridiculously overpriced and the food is common. My fellow Yelpers, please take the wool off your eyes.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/17/2012

    Fantastic food and great service! I recently held a dinner here for 7 friends, and Café-Ba-Ba-Reeba did not disappoint. Our waitress advised us to order about two tapas per person, which ended up being the perfect amount. We each ordered something and passed it around so we all got a bite. Some of our group had never done tapas before and loved the variety of dishes everyone gets a chance to try. And don't leave with out trying the sangria, very good! I would definitely recommend as a fun option for groups.

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/25/2012

    Café babareeba is genius disguised as a tapas restaurant for some.  First their location, in the heart of Lincoln Park is a perfect zip code for such an ambitious venture. The building itself is even better with its turn of the century style The neon light sign that says "Tapas" acts as a for what's to come, sort of like a book's cover that says "book."  Done to look like it was imported from Spain its ideally decorated for a restaurant that offers so many options on cheese. As you walk in two people taking reservations double as a tour guide.  I say that because the restaurant does intimacy like engineers at Cadillac specialize in fuel economy.  After they escorted me through the maze of rooms which gave me a full view of the restaurant which was fully occupuied by high income mostly Caucasian locals who probably see no difference between Spanish people and the Mexican's that serve them.  On this night I sat behind a well behaved baby who like everyone else had to listen to the man eating with his or her's parents.  Once you get the other noises out of your system and read through a pretty extensive menu it's easy to get yourself fired up for some Spanish grub.  Its kind of a waste of energy though.  The food itself is nothing special although the presentation tries to be.  Apparently the style of tapas that were given to us hailed from the region of Spain where they served food on blocks of wood cut like a cribbage board with wax paper on top of it.  The prices taken on a per tapa basis seem reasonable until you get the bill at the end of the night which makes you see the capitalist spin on such a socialist culinary tradition.  The sangria was good and was the most authentic of anything I consumed that night but that's coming from someone who would find something good to say about anything with alcohol in it.   In summary,  Café Babareeba is perfect for anyone looking for a faux tapas experience in an atmosphere that makes you feel like the other 300 people you have just discovered the next best

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/14/2011
    1 check-in

    Great food and great service.

    The amount of food you get for the amount of money you spend really depends on what you get. I think the meat tapas could be a little less as well as some of the seafood selections. My friend and I split a paella which was already about $30 bucks... we added shrimp thinking it would be a couple dollars, it was $9!

    Other than the prices, the food was good and the service was great.

    Would recommend this place if you don't have a budget.

  • 2.0 star rating
    9/5/2012

    I've been here quite a few times and always thoroughly enjoyed the passionfruit sangria. But I have to say that the experience diminishes over time (chalk it up to novelty maybe). The bacon wrapped dates are good, but I can do that at home to similar fanfare. The empanadas are in line with empanadas at any other spanish/latin place. I think I can only justify going to take advantage of the afterwork specials, which is what I did for my last visit on 12/23/2011. Otherwise, it's expensive and not that amazing.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/19/2011
    1 check-in

    I've been to numerous tapas restaurants here in Chicago, and by far, Cafe BaBaReeBa is my favorite.  From the wonderful sangrias to the large and varied list of tapas, this is both a wonderful place to bring a date and a great place to go with a large group... and that's not an easy bill to fill.

    My favorites?   The Plato de la Casa, the Pincho de Pollo y Chirizo and the Solomillo con Cabrales (I hope I spelled them right).

    If you go with a date and get a pitcher of sangria, several tapas and dessert, you're probably looking at close to $100 with tip.  If you can put in a reservation, DO IT!  I've waited well over an hour for a table there in the past.

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/31/2010

    A thin slice of chorizo rapped around a date stuffed with manchego cheese, then a hit to the palate from a braised short rib stuffed roasted red pepper.  After that comes a heirloom tomato salad and a cup of gazpacho.  All the while I sip glasses of red wine sangria and munch on chewy bread slices.  

    Enjoy

  • 2.0 star rating
    10/17/2010

    It was my first time here - and never had Spanish cuisine before. So my impression about Spanish food was going to start here.  

    Before trying out 'tapas,' I sat at the bar to drink a sangria (these were great by the way), and I did not know their existed so many flavors.  The bartender was excellent, she was quick to spot me, and I did not have to wait at all to get a drink - like in many places.  

    The tapas we ok.  I was not impressed. The potatoes I had  reminded me of BBQ Jays (the taste).  I also did not like the mushrooms stuffed with sour cream. The mushrooms were mushy.  The waitress was super nice though.  I would go back to have a sangria, and maybe try something else.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/11/2012

    The food, the atmosphere, the service, all wonderful. If you want tapas this would be one of my first recommendations

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/2/2013

    I love this place. The service is great. The food is delicious and everything comes out quick. Love it. We had our baby shower here and it was fantastic.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/11/2011

    I come here every time I'm in the area in the city, and let me tell you, I LOOOOOOOVE this place! Every time I've been there I (and the friends I have brought) have left satisfied. Great place to bring someone who may be a picky eater, since they have a little bit of everything.

    Their house sangria is great and the servers have always given me good suggestions. Very gracious about any special requests you have. Was very impressed with our service when we had an awkward situation arise. We were halfway through one of our tapas and a small bug flew in to the sauce and got stuck. Clearly we weren't going to eat it, so we told the server he could take it. He was very apologetic, and we laughed it off because clearly it wasn't the restaurants fault a bug wanted our food as much as we did. We were surprised to see it was taken off of our bill even though we had eaten half of it and hadn't complained at all.

    Definitely a great place to go. I suggest the following:

    -traditional spanish tomato bread & manchego
    -meatballs with sherry tomato sauce
    -serrano ham, salchichon, chorizo & manchego
    -spinach & manchego-stuffed mushrooms
    -fried green peppers & coarse salt
    -roast dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette
    -shrimp with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/23/2010
    1 check-in

    Great, great tapas. The ambiance is elegant and date-y, but it can also be good for a group of friends. There's no tapas I've had here that I didn't like.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/26/2011

    Went here for the first time for a friend's birthday. Very upbeat and fun environment. Food was also very tasty.

    Some notables:
    Braised lamb with couscous- oh so tender and full of flavor
    Chicken paella with artichokes: rice was moist but not too mushy. Chicken was tender and the grilled artichoke added wonderful flavor.
    Seafood paella: disappointed with this since I love seafood paella. Not too flavorful, not much seafood except a few prawns.
    Escargot: it was a top crisp bread with a garlicky rich flavor. yummm

    so much more goodness, but i'm finishing this review that i started 3 months ago so can't remember anything else. i do remember the sangrias were delicious.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/26/2011

    I have been here several times but not since I started writing reviews.  I went on Monday night and it was as good as ever.
    The service is friendly and prompt and although the space is big the lighting and decor make it cozy.
    As for the food, it's always excellent, as is the sangria, both red and white.  They have everything ranging from the ubiquitous tortilla espanola and baked goat cheese, as well as some creative salads (beet, goat cheese, oranges, greens) and mouth wateringly good meat dishes - pork tenderloin, chicken and chorizo, and my favorite, the spicy albondigas.  I've never met a tapa here that I didn't like.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/27/2011

    Have been here several times in the last few years.  Whether I'm with just one or two other people or in a larger group, I love this place because I feel like it's very reasonably priced, the service is always fantastic, and though the dishes are smallish, they're big enough that everyone generally gets to try them all.  Over the years, we have tried a bunch of different stuff, and we've pretty much figured out which dishes are the must-haves:

    Tortilla espanola, curried chicken salad (I never would have tried it without my friend's recommendation, but I'm SO glad I did), spicy potatoes with tomato aioli, seared scallops with raisins and couscous, rioja short ribs with mashed potatoes (melt-in-your-mouth!), beef empanada, and the roasted dates with bacon.  I've had other selections here that have been wonderful, but these are my go-to items.

    If you have room for dessert, the sampler platter and the tres leches cake are both great, but the coconut flan absolutely blew me away.  I've never been a fan of flan and wouldn't have tried it had my sister not gotten it, but now I will never go here again without ordering it.

    I also love the pitchers of sangria they serve here (I think the peach is probably my favorite, but they're all fantastic)!

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/17/2010

    On a Friday night- always always make a reservation!

    The tapas were just as good as expected for a chain restaurant. Being the first time we had tapas, it was a great (American-influenced) introduction to easing into tapas. The best ones were def the ones that sounded more ethnic and/or "scary".

    Since it was a Friday night, it was packed and service was slow but was not an issue. Surprisingly, other guests were loud and obnoxious- drunk off of too much sangria.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/30/2011
    1 check-in

    Coming to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has been a slight family tradition. The most recent visit was for Father's Day and I wasn't disappointed. I wanted to order something my father hasn't had before so I ordered the bacon wrapped dates. They were amazing. My dad said it tasted like heaven and his date couldn't get enough of them.

    Another amazing thing on the menu was the spare ribs. They were so tender and the sauce and potatoes were a perfect addition to it. The last thing that stood out from the visit was the braised lamb dish. Again, the meat was very tender, the sauce was amazing, maybe a little too sweet for me, and the pine nuts and cous cous were amazing additions to the dish.

    Even though it was father's day, the dishes came quickly. Another bonus point was that the server was all too happy to tell us how to make the bacon wrapped dates at home.

    I can't wait to come back here and try their paella that my father was raving about, we couldn't because we had half of the lunch menu and their breakfast menu.

    I would definitely suggest trying the chefs specials, they are the one with the red star by them, they were the dishes that we liked the most.

  • 2.0 star rating
    11/12/2012
    1 check-in

    Frequently felt neglected by server (perhaps too many tables not enough servers) on a Sunday night. Service was okay until end of meal. Ignored by staff for 25 minutes until we flagged somebody down to order desert. Gave my credit card to server when ordering dessert because we were in a hurry, but server totally forgot about it and ended up taking a second group member's credit card. Didn't get a change to correct the mistake because we were in a hurry. Had yelp special for "free dessert" when you check in. Turns out waiter didn't bother deducting it from our bill, but we didn't notice until after we had left. Oh, and it took another 25 minutes to get the check. Sloooow. Food was good; not sure if I will be back.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 3.0 star rating
    3/26/2008

    Picture it: Halstead Street, Lincoln Park, early 2008.

    It was girls night out.

    This was the second time I've had dinner here, and I'm not going to lie - I don't understand how this place works.  I went with 6 other gals (um, yeah, I'm the boy that hangs out with pretty girls) and we ordered, I'm guessing, everything on the menu.

    It just doesn't make sense to me.  The food was good, but I hate being the person to take the last one of something.  You know, like when there is ONE Kleenex left, and you're kinda like "should I just use it, and hope no one notices the empty box?"  It felt like that.  Only worse, because your friends see you eat the last piece of steak on the skewer, the last spoon full of mashed potatoes, the last fig wrapped in bacon (which I did not eat, because I am a JEW.)

    A scoop of potato salad? COME ON!  That's not tapas!  That is going to my Grandma's house on a Sunday.  The thing that worries me, is that the bill adds up fast. Everything is like $10.00.  You order 15 things, and instantly your bill is $150.00, plus you have drinks, plus you have gratuity.  We all walked out a little lighter in our wallets.

    We ordered about 1,345 different things and they kept bringing them out on plates that would have fit perfectly in the play Holly Hobby kitchen I had when I was a kid.  And I felt stupid asking "could you recommend something?" because the place was crazy packed, which also made me feel stupid.  All these other people figured out what was happening? aww man.  I'm an idiot!

    And to boot, I told my mother I went to a Tapas bar, and she thought I said TOPLESS.  Which at some point, I wish it was.  I sat under the heat pipe, and wished I could have taken off half my clothes.  Which would have been slightly awkward.  OK, very awkward.

    The food comes out fast,  so that was nice, but considering that they bring you about 4 tablespoons worth of food per plate, it gets eaten pretty fast, and I'm not dog - I wasn't wolfing this stuff down.

    I was full when I left...but I went next door to Tilli's and had a few beers and ate some more.  Maybe I am a pig.

    Overall, fun, but I feel like I need to do some Tapas research before I go out again to do this, so I don't feel like the special education little brother at the table.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/26/2011

    I've been here several times on different visits to Chicago. Great meeting spot with friends, to share plates and drink sangrias! I of course had all the veggie plates, my fav would be the:

    Spicy Potatoes I with Tomato Alioli

    and

    - The Goat chees bakes in Tomato sauce.

    I think the meat lover loved my fav veg plates more than I did!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/7/2011
    4 check-ins

    Thanks to a $100 gift certificate I was able to indulge at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and officially pop my tapas cherry. I also took three other tapas virgins (yeah I'm a stud like that) and we all had a blast. But really how can you not? The sangria is amazing, the food was wonderful and our waiter was a blast.

    Word of advice. Pay attention to your bill as some plates add up fast. We didn't really care because we knew the first $100 was covered but it was still surprising to see just how much food we put away. After drinks, more drinks, food, more food, and dessert I thought I was going to have to roll myself out of the restaurant.

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/13/2011

    The food here didn't taste as fresh to me compared to Tapas places such as twist. They do have great sangrias though.

    I wouldn't bring my friends to this place.

  • 1.0 star rating
    8/24/2010

    This place will surely fool you.  From the reviews to the crowd of people there on a Monday night, you would think this place is the greatest.  I think not.
    Ok, here's my first problem and I might be a little picky about this but I like what I like.  The menu has numbers next to the items. Ughhhh! That seems so cheesy to me. Part of the experience of going to a Tapas place is to experience the culture, food and language.  So as I'm trying to pronounce the name of the dish to the waitress instead of helping me to pronounce it correctly she says to me, "Oh, number 44". It took all of the excitement out of imagining I was in a different country.

    On to the food we ordered.

    Roast dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette=2 stars (bacon was over cooked, dates were small and not sweet, apple vinaigrette was non-existant of flavor)  I give it 2stars based on the simple fact it was bacon. Bacon rules.

    Seared salmon, patatas heirloom, chimichurri=0 stars (Salmon had absoutely no seasoning what so ever. I mean not even a pinch of salt. The chimichurri was weird tasting.  I've eaten lots of chimichurri but this place is garbage).

    Goat cheese croqueta=0 stars, ( They must have used the no-flavor goat cheese)

    Short rib stuffed piquillo pepper=3 stars, (The best thing we ordered, and that's not saying much)

    The Sangria is probably the best thing this place has going for them.  

    Sorry I didn't give you the numbers for the items I ordered (I forgot them)or the Spanish translation.  Didn't want to bore you with learning another language.

    This restaurant #FAIL There are way better Tapas places in Chicago.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/19/2011

    Long wait, but the food is so worth it.
    PEACH SANGRIA
    BLUE CHEESE TENDERLOIN
    PATATAS BRAVAS
    Mouth is salivating........

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/4/2010

    Being a tapas restaurant isn't as easy as simple as putting a tapas sign on the front of your restaurant. You have to create the experience of tapas. A laid back casual atmosphere which allows you to enjoy food, drink, and company at your own leisure. While Ba-Ba-Reeba might have the menu of a tapas restaurant or bar it certainly does not have the atmosphere nor the taste to go with it.

    Most of the food we had was okay but that was about it, just okay. The bacon covered dates were a bit embarrassing in stature and the bacon was a bit too crisp for my liking. As for the remainder of the dinner that night I simply don't remember it and that statement alone might just speak for itself and what Ba-Ba-Reeba is - an unmemorable experience.

    If you're looking for a fast food and unauthentic version of tapas you will be more than satisfied.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/18/2010

    I really loved this place! This was my and my husband's first tapas experience, so neither of us really knew how it worked or what dishes to order. We asked a lot of questions, and our waitress, Natalia, was so knowledgeable! She was able to describe every dish and make suggestions based off of what we told her we liked. Everything we ate tasted so good! I ate so much! We were there for two hours, and it was such a fun dining/entertainment experience!

    I would highly recommend ordering the red sangria, spicy potatoes with tomato alioli, and goat cheese baked in tomato sauce. You also have to try the beef tenderloin & blue cheese and rioja short ribs and manchego mashed potatoes. All of the meat was so tender; it was really juicy and fell off the bone.

    Natalia was great, the food was delicious, and we will definitely go back!

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/11/2011

    We had a wide variety of dishes.   Some quite good, some not so hot.    
    Bacon wrapped dates: great
    Ham Croquette: not so hot, weird texture
    beef empanada: flavorless
    beef skewer: ok, not great, not bad
    calamari: very good
    fried green pepper: ok
    meatballs: odd texture, bland

    Everything was "pretty good" but not sure that we would come back.   There is a good vibe, the place is loud so it is good for groups and kids (which is why we came) but I would not use this as a romantic dinner spot.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/11/2012

    Very delicious and lots of vegetarian options (we ordered only vegetarian plates).

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/7/2011

    Do I want another scallop wrapped in bacon? Of course I do.
    I ate here for a private party in which they gave us dish after dish after dish. Nearly all the dishes were simply amazing. There were a few misses but I believe that that is just an inevitability when you eat 10 dishes. The truth is I will never forget this dining experience ever. One of the most amazing things to do here is watch the amazing wait staff zing around with huge trays of food darting between the narrow passages between the tables with a finesse that few could ever actually achieve.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/8/2011

    Went here for the first time for a birthday party. This place was decent. I liked my food, and the prices, but it didn't blow me away. We got a few pitchers of Sangria, which were good, but not great.  I tried the spinach and manchengo stuffed mushrooms, mushroom empanada with porcini alioli, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, and the garlic potato salad and they were all good.
    The place does get packed though, which makes it hard to get out to go to the bathroom or whatever. And we did start feeling claustrophobic after awhile.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/8/2011

    The first time I came here was for 2010 restaurant week and left in a heart-pounding food coma because I ate every bite since it was soooo good.  Especially the paella.

    I also went here with a group on a Friday night- we called about a week in advance but the first reservation they had was at 9 pm.  This didn't end up being a problem at all but definitely call far in advance if you want a popular time.

    The food is great here, but the atmosphere is too. It's so lively and fun.  The staff is very friendly and attentive, and looking around at the crowd, everyone seems to be having a great time.

    Favorite things to order: Goat cheese appetizer (nothing special here over other places, but still so good) and bacon wrapped dates.  We also ordered potatoes, steak skewers, and stuffed mushrooms.  Everything was good but not like OMG this is so good.

    If it's your birthday they will bring you chocolate cake.  The white sangria is just as good as the red.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/13/2011

    Cafe Baba Reeba is not the best tapas restaurant in town but it is definitely a good choice when in LP.  I came here for the first time years ago when I was student teaching at Lincoln Park HS around the corner.  They had (still have I think) a fabulous happy hour special where a list of about 10 tapas were very inexpensive ($1-$3 each) and there bottles of beer for $3- a great value.

    I took my students here on a field trip about 3 years ago and had a great experience.  They made it so easy to organize and the food was great.  The teachers definitely enjoyed it more than the kids ("cuándo vamos a comer los tacos, srta???"- it didn't matter that we had explained that Spanish food did not equal Mexican food about 100 times prior to the trip!).

    The last time I came in, about a month ago, it was for my bachelorette party.  The sangria flowed, we ate to our heart's content, and the bill was reasonable (and I put it all on my lettuce entertain you frequent diner card- NICE).  Service was efficient and friendly.  We had a reservation so  we didn't have any wait time.  I'd recommend  the queso de cabra, tortilla, dates, croquetas- it's all quite good.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/12/2011
    1 check-in

    This is one of my favorite restaurants ever. Every time I come here the staff is really nice and never get the orders wrong.
    My favorite tapa has to be the spicy potatoes, it's always a must when Im here. The sauce it comes with is soo freaking good. I also get the meatballs which are delicious. One time I decide to get the sangria and the special was mango. They should serious keep it on the menu because I want to order it every time I go.
    Overall I love this place and I think it's a great place for group of people to eat.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/7/2012 Updated review

    So where did you take your very Christian, very picky about eating "strange" food parents to eat when they are meeting your boyfriend's Asian parents and brother that like to eat "unusual" food.  I know! Let's go to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  After all, this is the first place that we ate on our first date.  How perfect and it was... I always want to get my parents to try new things, though things like calamari are different for them.  Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba offers perfect choices for both the Asian parents and the white parents to try new foods.  It went great and the food was amazing as usual.

    4.0 star rating
    6/10/2009 Previous review
    Quality of the food - I love the food. This was the second time I have been there in two months. I… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    5/20/2008
    Listed in Tapas, Chicago Spots

    While in Chicago I went to this place because Tom Colliche-whateverhisnameis from Top Chef gave it a shout out in his blog on the Bravo website.  

    I tried the marinated olives, spicy potatoes, endive salad w/walnuts & gorgonzola, grilled calamari, seared salmon and dates wrapped in bacon.  The plates here were much bigger than what I am used to at tapas places in the Philly area (which is why I ordered 6-- had I known how large they are here, I probably would have ordered 3 or 4.)  I also had 3 glasses of sangria, 2 red and 1 white.  

    Everything was very good but I wasn't crazy about how much oil was in everything.  I know oil is part of the cuisine but it seemed overboard.  So I knocked off one star.  Other than that, the food itself was just as good as everyone says it is, and the sangria is bangin.  I'll be crash dieting for the next four days before the weekend.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/31/2011
    3 check-ins

    Bacon.  Wrapped.  Dates.

    Really that's all I need to say about this place, but I'll go on.

    This is the first time I've ever gone out for tapas and left feeling full. Normally, while my palette is singing from all the different flavors, my stomach is rumbling because I can never seem to get enough of what is essentially a bunch of finger food.  This time, I was totally stuffed.  We had the house plate (which is like an antipasti), the spicy potatoes, which were so savory and the bleu cheese filets that were absolutely luxurious (but the portion was spot on) and, like I said - bacon wrapped dates.  If you haven't had them, you need to.  Like, right now.

    A friend is planning a birthday dinner here soon and I'm already drooling.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/23/2012

    My girlfriend and I hit this place up on our Chicago weekend adventure and we were not disappointed. The tapas and paella were tasty and sangria of the day hit the spot. Our server was really friendly and made some good recommendations. The restaurant has a nice ambiance and was well priced.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/15/2011
    5 check-ins

    When I have guests visiting from out of town I take them here. Not some pizza place, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. There are so many delicious places to visit in this city but I can rely on amazing food, a great atmosphere and fun memories when I take friends and family here. If its a Friday or Saturday night peek hours expect an hour+ wait. I like to grab the pintxos platter if anyone with me is unsure about a particular plate. A few standards for me that everyone seems to enjoy are Spicy Potatoes, Goat Cheese Baked Tomato and any empanada there. A favorite is the roasted dates wrapped in bacon. You can always order more and most times each plate comes out on its own so don't try and wait for everything before you start eating. And of course get a pitcher of sangria.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/22/2013

    One of my absolute favorites. YUM.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/22/2011

    A staple in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.  Reservations are a must!  Some of my favorite items include: Spicy potatoes, meatballs, sausage plate, and bacon wrapped dates.  But actually, there isn't anything I've gotten that I don't like.  

    They are building a new patio area, which I'm excited about.  Opens in November.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/31/2012

    I love spanish tapas, and have been meaning to check this place out. I forget exactly what we had, but i remember loving it. For me, the standout dish was their steak with blue cheese. Wish i remembered the exact name, but it was delicious!!! Nice relaxed casual vibe, good for everyday dining. Will be back

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/7/2011

    One caveat: I'm not a huge fan of tapas in general. I think you always pay for more than you actually get and I'm always hungry afterward.

    That being said. Cafe Babareeba used to be much better. I went here in 2004 right after I moved to Chicago and it was phenomenal. Since then, it's become part of the Lettuce-Entertain-You chain and in my humble opinion lost a lot of it's charm. It's not that it's not good. It's just not unique.

    Overall, tres run-of-the-mill. Head to Girl and the Goat instead! The months long wait should give you plenty of time to save up some scratch.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/3/2011

    This review is only for after hours menu so I can't quite give them 5 stars yet. We ordered a bunch of dished but the stand outs were the potatoes and the goat cheese in marinara sauce. Their peach sangria was also pretty good but could have used a bit more alcohol.

    Definitely will come back again to try their paellas.

  • 1.0 star rating
    8/23/2010

    A restaurant cannot survive on Sangria alone.  I consider myself a true admirer of food....both good and bad, because without the bad we wouldn't recognize the good.  

    I'm not impressed with Cafe Ba Ba Reba.  A friend and I had the bacon wrapped dates, seared salmon, short rib stuffed pepper, patatas bravas and the goat cheese croqueta.  The only item I somewhat liked were the patatas bravas and only because I love potatoes.

    The salmon had absolutely no flavor at all....no salt, herbs or spices.  The only saving grace was it was not dry.  The goat cheese was not flavorful, the bacon on the bacon wrapped dates were burnt and the dates were very small, and the short rib stuffed pepper was bláse.  

    However, the sangria was very good, in fact, it was what I expect all sangrias to be.  I had both the red and blueberry sangrias.  

    To summarize, try the sangria here and you won't be disappointed but the food will leave you wanting more.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/6/2010

    I love this place and willl go here any time any of my friends want to go. Every time I go I order this potato tapas that just makes me want more. In addition, we always order the shrimp with garlic dipping sauce and the meatball. Sangria are good but I'll pass only because I do not like to drink alcoholic beverages while eating.

    Pros: Service and ambience is really nice.

    Con:

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/27/2012
    1 check-in

    Wow so many reviews, it must be good right. I don't think I was that impressed. Maybe it had to do with the fact that we visited Spain just last year. It was good, don't get me wrong. Just don't know if it's worth all this fuss on yelp. We walked in for a late lunch and still had to wait 20 minutes. Looking around the restaurant after we were seated, the place is really big and it looked like there were plenty of empty tables. Hopefully those were reserved because man, does it but me when we have to wait even though there's space for us. Anyways we tried their tapas - a brunch crepe with runny eggs, short rib, shrimp with garlic and olive oil, chicken and ham croquetas, citrus salad with goat cheese, potatoes bravas (spicy potatoes), and the beef empanada.  My favorite was the short rib and it came with mashed potatoes, although like 8-9 bucks for a tiny piece of melt in your mouth meat. The potatoes were just like how they make it in Spain but with a slightly less spicy sauce so I enjoyed it a bit more. I even got their passion fruit sangria - delicious but could've been stronger. We really wanted to try their paella but they didn't have it. And we came on a Sunday afternoon. If they don't have it on the weekends, when do they offer it - maybe only at dinner? And if you check in here on yelp, you get a free dessert. Even their desserts are taps-sized. Just a few bites. Luckily I got the chocolate one and it was very rich so I could only take a couple bites and everyone got to try it as well. Delish.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/5/2012

    The Sangria and tapas were fantastic! The service was ok but my friend and I didn't mind because the atmosphere was fun and lively! All around a great restaurant. I look forward to going back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/27/2010

    I wasnt impressed but they were good enough to receive the lowest four possible....The half pitcher of sangria was good not phenom.  The tapas dishes (salmon and other was scallops)  both were again decent but just didnt give me the wow factor!  One thing I didnt care for were both dishes were served/dressed w/ the same bail pesto oil.  Yeah I understand restaurants need to be universal w/ some of their ingredients, it just happened to be the two dishes I ordered had the same accent flavors.  Always my luck, so im used to it.  ;)  Also the service was very nice and always asking if needed anything else.

    Im definitely going to come back to give this place another whirl, just because I've heard so many good things.  Kinda a boring review I know but I wasnt bezazzed w/ anything...

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/8/2010

    Went here last night for our group's year-end dinner, and came away a believer.  This place is significantly better than Cafe Iberico, which I was never that impressed by.

    Aside from a minor mishap where they were unable to locate our Open Table reservation, our overall experience was positive.  We had a kind and attentive waitress and the ambiance felt very much as a Spanish tapas place should, with many yellow and red tones.

    We ordered the following:

    bacon wrapped dates x 2
    curry chicken salad
    goat cheese in tomato sauce x 2
    sangria x 2 (one red, one mango)
    goat cheese croqueta x 6
    grilled squid w/ olive oil & garlic
    spanish meatballs
    eggplant salad
    chicken & ham croquetas
    mushroom & rice croqueta
    short rib stuffed piquillo peppers x 6
    spicy potatoes with tomato aioli
    braised lamb w/ spinach
    escargot
    shrimp w/ garlic, olive oil & red pepper flakes
    chicken artichoke & spinach paella
    rioja short ribs, manchego mashed potatoes
    chicken & mushroom empanada

    By the end of the meal, we all felt quite satiated having sampled all sorts of different foods and consumed at least two drinks each (one of the guys in our group ordered a couple of beers) and, get this, our whole tab came to $42 per person including tax and tip.  Now that's what I call a bargain!

    The highlights, in my mind, were the curry chicken salad (very creamy, but tastier than I expected), the mango sangria (went down really smooth), grilled squid (not too rubbery), chicken & ham croquetas (deep fried but delish), spicy potatoes w/ tomato aioli (surprisingly good for something so simple).  A definite recommend!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/22/2012

    Great food, good service extremely affordable - fed family of four including desserts ( no booze) for $88

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/28/2010
    1 check-in

    I will say this place is best for larger groups, especially if you're going during a Friday/Saturday during dinner. A party of two will be placed in very close proximity to other smaller parties, so be prepared for a fairly "intimate" dinner.

    We were fortunate enough to be placed in between three girls chatting about their recent boob jobs and another couple where one girl would not shutup (seriously the other girl didn't get a word in during our entire meal). A little distracting, but we enjoyed the eavesdropping....

    Be sure to try one of their amazing sangria concoctions! Seriously, Lettuce Entertain You never disappoints.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/7/2012

    Food was great and my waiter Jose was funny, knowledgeable and attentive.  I will definitely go back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/8/2011

    Me and two of my girlfriends came here to celebrate my 23rd birthday. The atmosphere is very welcoming. The colors of the rooms of the lively conversation filling the space is very inviting. I had made a reservation through OpenTable, so we were seated right away.

    If you have Foursquare, your first check in earns you a FREE pintxos platter. We got to sample each of the pintxos they had. We especially liked the short rib stuffed pepper and the chorizo wrapped medjool date and cheese. We also ordered the passion fruit sangria pitcher, which was really good as well. Very light and refreshing.

    Now, onward to the tapas. Our table got:

    30. spicy potatoes with tomato alioli
    45. fried calamari, tomato crudo, jalapeno alioli
    53. handmade beef empanada
    55. grilled prime sirloin & market vegetables
    66. grilled chicken skewer & chorizo sausage
    68. roast dates with bacon & apple vinagrette.

    The standouts were 30, 53, and 68. The spicy potatoes are perfection, especially with the sauce. The empanada's crust was really fluffy. The roast dates were the nice surprise of the night. The fried calamari wasn't very good. I like my calamari to be very crispy, and this one was disappointingly soggy. The sirloin was also nothing special.

    Overall, this place was really great. The atmosphere was really nice and festive. It was great to sit with my girlfriends, eating tapas and drinking sangrias. I would definitely go back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/23/2013

    I really liked this place. good variety of tapas. Great for groups, and the scallops were amazing. One of my favorite tapas places that I've tried.

  • 1.0 star rating
    10/17/2011

    I have been to Ba-Ba-Reeba several times until I finally have chosen not to go anymore. My relationship started with loving them a ton. Over the past 3 years though I would say the food quality, service and overall experience has drastically dwindled.

    To start, the last few times I've been the food has been sub-par at best. It's often been cold or arrived too quickly from the next. Not very good timing and not very yummy anymore.

    Next, the sangria, although it tastes good, is juice. Do not think there is any alcohol in any of the sangria's - trust me, I've had them all.

    The service is horrible nowadays. When you have a reservation, you still have to wait 20 - 45 mins. Ridiculous! What is the point of having a reservation? Not to mention, even if you call to alter your reservation days before they will not do it. I asked to add an extra person to an 8 o clock rez and they told me no, the next available time would be 9:30 - it was only for a table of 4 (seems simple to add a person from 3 to 4).

    I am over the whole Cafe Ba Ba Reeba craze - it will take a lot for me to go back and give it another shot.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/7/2011

    Delicious food and fun atmosphere! I came with 3 friends around 10:45pm Friday night, and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was packed but there was no wait.
     
    We ordered the patatas fritas, eggplant & goat cheese platter, tomato goat cheese dip (amazing), green peppers, and drinks. - all of which were fantastic. The prices were reasonable and portions were large. Win-win!

    Not as good as twist, but a great place for groups and an active ambiance.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/6/2011

    Your probably wondering, 'why is he just giving Cafe 3 stars?  Well okay, I  will admit, it was very hard to do that.  Their food is absolutly excellent, however, their service is awful, maybe I am just very picky when it comes to service for the guess at a restaurant that charges $6.50 for a bottle of Stella, but that is just what I think.  But all jokes and lets be good here, the host are very sweet, but when you get the wait staff over to you, they just dont seem to want to be your friend and I believe that in order for the wait staff to go home with a nice bit of money from the night is to be friends with their guest, do what they say promptly, and always answer the guest questions without pausing for anything, you work their, you know the answer.

    I will say, check it out, you will love the food, but dont expect good service, and dont buy beer, buy hard liquor.  

    Thanks and enjoy your night at  Cafe BaBa Reeba....

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/5/2011

    This was my first tapas experience, that part isn't bad. If this place were a third cheaper than what it is I would have been okay. Still not a place I would regularly want to go but I wouldn't dread it. However at it's current prices without good Sangria I don't want to go back.

    Grilled Squid was really good
    Beef Tenderloin w/ Blue Cheese was good
    Paella was underwhelming
    The Spicy Potatoes that were supposed to be so great were ok, but not great.
    Sangria wasn't good. As much as the bartender hyped it up and as many flavors as they had I was thoroughly unimpressed. I make sangria that is way better than this place, seriously...

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  • 3.0 star rating
    3/4/2011

    I went here for a family dinner to celebrate me and my brother's birthdays. I've only had tapas one other time and it was a pretty enjoyable experience, so I was pretty excited to try another new tapas place.

    The service was top notch. Waiters were attentive and friendly. My mom twisted her ankle when getting up to go to the bathroom, but luckily me, a waiter, and a bus boy were able to catch her before she fell! The waiter got her an ice bag and another chair to elevate her ankle, and later the general manager came by to check on her! One complaint was that we got tired of waiting for the waiter to come back after paying our bill, but we were all paid up so we left anyway.

    The ambiance is nice,  The lighting is dim, but not dark, and the volume of conversation isn't too annoying, considering the halls are busy and crowded with other patrons.

    We ordered a handful of tapas and shared them family-style (fittingly). I'm not sure I remember everything we got, but I'll comment on what I remember. Braised lamb was okay, kind of bland. Spicy potatoes were flavorful and aioli was light and complementary. Beef empanada... I've had better. The crust was kinda light and the beef wasn't that amazing. Ham and chicken croquetas were perfectly fried and pretty delicious. I know we ordered more, but that's all I really remember eating, but in all it was pretty good overall. Service was really quick, maybe 5-10 minutes after we ordered.

    We also ordered seafood paella for 4, and it came a little while after we were done with our tapas. The paella was kind of bland and our scallops and shrimp were way too salty. My mom said we should've sent it back, but half of us were already done with our plates, haha. Definitely not the best paella I've had.

    We decided to get some desert to top off the birthday celebration, we got the Pintxo dessert platter, which is a good deal for $6. Everything was delish. We also got coconut flan and tres leches caramel cake, and both were divine as well.

    Price was fair, ~$20-25 per person for tapas, paella, and dessert. This is a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant so we used a LEYE gift card my mom got for Christmas.

    Overall, I enjoyed my experience but thought the food was somewhere between good and okay. There's a ton of choices so come here with a lot of people so that you can try a little bit of everything. It was worth eating here and I'd come here again, but I think I'd rather try some new/different Tapas places before coming back.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/22/2010

    I hadn't been to CafeBaBaReeba, but it's one of my ladyfriend's favorites so I was game when she suggested it for a "holiday date."

    Food was tasty; we stuck to the veggie side of stuff, since that's her proclivity. Garlic potatos salad was completely yummy. Tortilla was a little bland but much helped by the aioli that came alongside it. The roasted eggplant was good, although we both got tired of it pretty quickly. Had a white peach sangria which was tast. Stuffed mushrooms were massive and very nice. The highlight was the dessert pincxo platter we ordered: an array of 6 itty-bitty desserts. SO TINY! SO TASTY!

    Service was quite slow, especially toward the end while we were waiting for dessert, and the place is crowded and noisy, but it's definitely a restaurant I would take out-of-town guests to.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/13/2012

    Definateley my favorite tapas place hands down!!!! the food is mouth watering and sooooooo delicious!!!! I have been there multiple times and have probably covered everything on the menu by now. there is not a thing on the menu that is just OK. Everything is EXCEPTIONAL. their raspberry sangria is sooooo good!!! and if you are not super stuffed, try their tiny deserts!!! the caramel flan hit the spot!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/25/2012
    2 check-ins

    Great sangria and tapas! Service is fast.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/21/2012

    The stuffed mushrooms are to die for! Everything else we got was very well seasoned and perfectly cooked. Kind of pricey but definitely worth it for a nice night out. I wish we'd gone on a warmer night where we could have sat on the patio, but overall it was a good experience.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/23/2012
    1 check-in

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is always a fun place to go! If you are a sangria fan, definitely give them a try.  The house white is delicious, and I also love the passion fruit sangria.  Favorites: lamb kabobs, sweet potato with pomegranate alioli, tres leche cake, and the vanilla flan! I went for a night out with my girlfriend, and it was very affordable.  It ended up being around $75 before tip; this included a pitcher of sangria, several tapas, and dessert! Tip: check in on yelp and get a free dessert :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/26/2010 Updated review

    I am quite excited to celebrate my birthday here with friends this year- for the record, it is waaaay better than a bunch of flowers with a "wish you were here" postcard tacked to it or a broken tape-deck boombox. (Winners of the worst birthday gifts ever!)
    Though those worst ever gifts are really funny after a pitcher of cava champagne sangria....

    5.0 star rating
    9/6/2007 Previous review
    My boyfriend's mother is insane. I love my boyfriend. I've accepted that once a year, we have to… Read more
  • 3.0 star rating
    6/10/2010

    I am left severely confused.

    Ahi tuna and shaved vegetable salad: excellent. Salsa verde-esque condiment went perfectly with the lovely rare ahi.

    Grilled squid with olive oil and garlic: succulent fresh-tasting squid, perfectly done.

    Bacon wrapped dates: decent. Not excellent, not perfect, just decent. I am still more of a fan of Twist's.

    Octopus & potatoes a la plancha: OCTOPUS SHOULD NEVER TASTE LIKE CHICKEN. I squeezed 2 slices of lemon AND added a sprinkle of salt and it was still tragically bland.

    It's a pity, because I came very close to liking this place. Unfortunately, rubbery, overcooked and underseasoned octopus is NEVER alright. Go if you really want, but stay away from the octopus.

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/23/2010

    I definitely got food poisoning from this restaurant.  I cannot place what food exactly but to be less than polite, I was hugging the toilet and garbage can all night.  The wait is unbearable on the weekends and hardly feels worth it.

    trust me, I REALLY want to like this place because it clearly seems to have good experiences all around but I just can't afford to give it another try.  My pocketbook and stomach are both fearful.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/26/2012

    Everything here was absolutely amazing (food/drink wise) - - but we made reservations and still didn't get seated forevvvvver and the service wasn't very good.  Don't go here if you're in a hurry.  BUt if you just want to sit and enjoy delicious sangria/tapas .... come check it out.  Sitting on the patio is highly recommended if you can swing it :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/12/2012
    1 check-in

    Love the food and atmosphere!

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/2/2010

    Can you keep a secret?
    This was my first tapas experience! I'm a little embarrassed to admit that.
     I loooove small plates, sangria, and sharing! Therefore, I love you tapas!

    We tried alot of food, my guy and I are super goodies so we just can't say no!
    (some of what) We ordered-
    The olives, they were ok, I wish they had a little more flavor!
    Calamari, yummmmmmm! Delicious, I'm a calamari snob, this was perfectly fried!
    Potatoes, I never knew pan potatoes could taste so yummy!
    Meatballs, this is defiantly an order made by my guy, they were spicy and had an unexpected flavor to them!
    I love you gods of tapas, I want it once a week now!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/31/2010

    At 600+ reviews, it is not like this place needs any advertizing, but I thought I would share to let Yelpers know it is just as good and consistent as always.

    I totally get the anti-tapas attitude as I used to have it years ago.  I also feel that my favorite times here are when I wasn't with a big group, but with one or two people, just enjoying life and not being in a hurry.  truly experiencing an afternoon or evening out where it is as much about talking and sharing as it is about where you are at and what you are doing.

    Highly recommend the cheese plate options, and the bacon wrapped dates.  The olive plate was also a huge hit, and the different olives were all good in their own right.  Really nice selection.

    Loved the escargot, caesar salad, and the "small tapas"----Pinxtos---(pronounced Peen-Chose if I recall correctly).  The are apparently single item tapas or bar food that are popular in Spain and we loved them.  I think they were $1.50 a piece and you are able to try a variety for a low cost.

    This is a place if you are in the mood for sitting, talking, sipping wine, and grazing.  A perfect way to end a Sunday and outstanding weekend!

    The service is excellent and very warm, and we look forward to going back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/12/2012

    Very tasty.  Love the little plates, great place for a group.  The service was great and the food was good too.  The bacon wrapped dates were the best.  The glass ceiling was pretty unique too.  Overall, I would definitely go back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/22/2012

    Amazing, I have to actually try to spend money here.   My go to place when I want to eat everything on the menu and not break the bank.   The bacon wrapped dates and sangria are a meal alone.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/1/2012

    I have been going to Cafe Babareeba for a decade and have never been disappointed.  We decided to have our rehearsal dinner there, and it was one of the best decisions that we made for the entire wedding process.  My fiance and I both worked with Katie in their events area, and I can't say enough about how easy she was to work with.  The event itself was absolutely beautiful- the servers were incredible and paid attention to every detail.   There are no changes that I would make to the dinner because it was perfect in every way, the great same service and food I have grown to expect from Babareeba- but in an intimate private atmosphere.  For anyone looking for a good rehearsal dinner spot, Katie and the folks at Babareeba are A+

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/21/2010
    3 check-ins

    I love love love this place. The red sangria is not too sweet, the tapas are very varied, and authentic while still inventive. The tab can climb up there quickly, and so can your calories (as another reviewer said, many things are cooked with a lot of oil), so beware.

    Vegetarian friendly!  I recommend the endive salad, spicy potatoes, goat cheese empanadas, stuffed mushrooms, and dulce de leche/tres leches for dessert.

    For brunch/lunch (on weekends at least, I don't know about weekdays), the Cafe has an excellent omelet bar, with all fresh, local, and organic ingredients.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/24/2011

    After living in Madrid, I am always on the lookout for a good Spanish restaurant.  I've been coming to Babareeba for years, and the reason I keep coming back is because this is far and away the best paella I've had outside of Spain.  The paella valenciana is a good choice if you're new to it, but all of their options are delicious.  I judge every place claiming to be a tapas restaurant by their patatas bravas (spicy potatoes), and Babareeba's are among the best I've ever had. Their dates wrapped in bacon, octopus, goat cheese in tomato sauce, and tortilla espanola are all amazing also.  The red sangria is great, and a few pitchers for a group are always a good way to start of an entertaining night.

    This place gets pretty busy on the weekends, but honestly I enjoy sitting at the bar and sharing sangria with friends.  The service is always pretty solid - I don't remember having a bad experience.

    This is one of my favorite restaurants in the city - please do yourself a favor and go in right away. Babareeba is amazing.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/5/2010
    Listed in Tasting Tapas!

    I came here on a medication I couldn't drink on so I missed out on the Sangria everyone is raving about! Some of the dishes were amazing and others were blah. Also, dinner here can get a bit pricey. Sangrias are $7-8 a glass and without drinks, my boyfriend and my bill came out about $60. The sausage platter was yummy with a garlic mayo to dip the sausage pieces in. The roasted green peppers with salt were not good at all. They had no flavor... the salt could not even save them from their bitter taste. And they were cooked whole... meaning seeds inside still. The breaded goat cheese is to die for. the spicy roasted potatoes are also a favorite of mine. We had other dishes but they were not too memorable... which says a lot. To finish off our mean we had the dessert flight. The blueberry sorbet, and their creme dish were amazing but the rest were sub-par...

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/20/2011

    Nice restaurant. My friends brought me here a year ago and it was a wonderful experience. I said this restaurant should be credited for good service and good food so I am reviewing it even though my review is a little late. Actually, it was my first Spanish meal:-)

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/12/2010

    This is a great tapas place for a group.  The prices are reasonable, the menu is varied and the service is usually pretty speedy.  The sangria pitchers are also a great choice for large groups - there are a few different flavors (I like the classic red the best but my gal pals seem to dig the passion fruit), so it adds to the fun.

    It seems like everyone that goes to this place, esp on a weekend, are celebrating something.  From bachlorette parties to birthdays this place is swamped with large parties.  Not a good place for a romantic date since it's so loud in there, but fun for a night out with friends.  

    Must haves would be the spicy potatoes and the dates wrapped in bacon - good stuff!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/7/2014

    place is good food. but the environment and energy is fun. lots of fun to go with a big group.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/12/2013

    Highly recommend. Excellent food. Fun atmosphere.  Our waiter was informed and very attentive to our table. Plan to come again next time in Chi-town.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/27/2009
    Listed in Bebe OK

    The tapas itself is OK.  The spicy potatoes are insanely good, as is anything bacon-wrapped and the goat cheese.  The sangria was good.  The paella was kind of oily and , you know, meh, not bad, not great.  The cold potato salad was awful.  I think that the ratio is supposed to go, from greatest to smallest:  potatoes--mayo-- garic, not raw garlic-- more  raw garlic-- still more raw garlic-- some mayo or potatoes maybe. The small plate desserts we got were wonderful.  Perfect for when you want a little something sweet after dinner, but not a piece of cake as big as your head.

    What really stood out was their accommodation of children.  They made a plate of pasta with butter and grated cheese for my 7 year old daughter, gave her crayons and a coloring mat and gave her, get this, Bendaroos to play with.  She was completely thrilled and played quietly whilst the adults got a chance to eat and catch up.  Then she got the dessert tapas sampler.  I can't comment on any of the 6 little bites of desserts that come on the plate, because she would not share a single bit.  I'm assuming that this meant it was very good.

    As the meal wore on approximately 15 petite, bespackled, surgically enhanced, spray tanned women wearing tiny dresses and big lucite platform heels came in with a couple of guys in track suits and a lot of gold.  Stripper convention?  Wow, this place is great for the WHOLE family!  Kids are happy, dads are happy, I got sangria, so I'm happy...

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/22/2010

    Now, this is where it's at! Actual tapas that are packed with flavor! Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. Willing to give personal recommendations and explain cooking preparations.

    I highly recommend starting with the Pintxos Platter. It's a great way to sample bite size portions of each of the various options. I must say my favorite item from the platter was the Short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper! Mmm, mmm, mmm muy bien!

    And ... my top 3 picks for the Tapas are:
    *Shrimp with garlic, olive oil & red pepper flakes
    *Beef tenderloin & blue cheese
    *Rioja short ribs, manchego mashed potatoes

    These dishes are wonderfully flavorful. The beef ... Melt in your mouth, falling apart with the touch of your fork, cooked to perfection. The combinations are truly delightful! Ohhh, and let's not forget the Sangria!

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/26/2010

    I frequent this place quite a bit - food is good, ambiance is lively and it always provides a good time for me and my girlfiends.  It's one of those places that are fun with good food to boot.  We come here when we're in the 'hood, when we're feeling like a girly gossip session or big group dinners.  Tapas just works for those occasions.  It's just...pricier and not as good as other tapas joints I've been to.  Will I be back?  Yea, sure, why not.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/20/2010

    A make your own bloody mary bar? I'm SOLD! For seven bucks I concocted the most delish mix of tomato juice, ketel one, celery salt, olives, lime juice, pepper, and a few more odds and ends. I tried to slowly savor it throughout the meal, which was an arduous feat to say the least.  Luckily, I had a lot of distractions in the way of a most excellent bevy of tapas - including the goat cheese and tomato sauce, scallops with couscous and raisins, shrimp and cheese dip, baby baked potatoes with a pumkin sauce, and the highlight of the afternoon...dates wrapped in BACON (mmmmm, bacon).

    My compatriot commented that she could come back for two plates of bacon wrapped dates with the bloody mary bar and be completely content. I couldn't agree more. However, if you aren't obsessed with the idea of an afternoon of bacon and alcohol, there are a lot of other fantastic choices to make a trip here worthwhile. Enjoy!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/21/2010

    God I miss this place.

    For a Californian who visited Chicago, this place was where I had some of the best tapas that I have tasted outside of Spain.  Ba Ba Reeba gave me my jamon serrano fix and got me addicted to their sangria.  I came by twice during my visit because once just wasn't enough. Who goes somewhere twice in a new city? Ba Ba Reeba was worth it and if I had two stomachs I would have gone even more often!  I still have yet to find me some good jamon serrano in the SF Bay Area that will match Spain's and Ba Ba Reeba's.  Only tear was that the churros con chocolat was not like Spain's- it had cinnamon sugar (vs. plain) and the chocolate was on the too sweet side and wasn't thick enough.

    Regardless, I can't wait til I find myself in Chicago again so I can be reunited with this place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/5/2011

    I went to Ba-Ba-Reeba only once, and I can't wait to go back again. Their sangria is SO GOOD, and their tapas even better. It's a great setting to go with a group of 5 or more, wouldn't recommend it for tables of 2. I had bacon wrapped dates, goat cheese dip, squid, calamari, among others, and I don't have a complaint. Our server was super friendly and helpful with recommendations -- and my water was never empty. I remember the restaurant being a little loud, but that was just because it was so busy.

    Loved it.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/5/2011

    I dined here for the first time on Thursday. I met my date around 7 pm, and the restaurant was fairly busy then, but quickly filled up around us. We started with a 1/2 pitcher of the classic red sangria, which we both liked, but agreed it would be better as a refreshing summer drink. The tapas we ordered included the citrus-cured salmon, the chicken empanada, the beef tenderloin with blue cheese, and the goat cheese with tomato sauce. The last two are musts! For dessert, we shared the dulce tres leche (listed as caramel on the menu), which was wonderful, especially when paired with the Taylor 10 year I ordered.

    The ambiance was fine; not too loud, not too quiet. The hostesses were polite and friendly, the restaurant was clean. Our server kept perfect tabs on us (I was remiss in not getting her name), and kept our glasses filled and made sure we wanted for nothing. Even the back waiters were attentive, clearing dishes as soon as we were finished and keeping our waters filled.

    The reason I give this three stars is because I didn't feel like I was eating Spanish food. Maybe this is my own fault; should I have ordered different dishes? I've had tapas before, and while I was pleased, I was left wanting, too. But I will definitely eat here again and give it another shot.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/17/2010

    My girlfriend and I went on a date here, and it was absolutely best tapas I ever had and great food in general.  The sangria was delicious as well.  The environment was very cozy and warm, although it can be a bit loud.  We were seated in a corner, which made the atmosphere very enjoyable and still somewhat private.  We will definitely be going back.

  • 2.0 star rating
    12/28/2010

    Went here for my bf's birthday dinner last night, since we figured we'd try something a little different from our norm.
    I really like the tapas although I wasn't a big fan of the paella.

    I felt like there couldve been more spices and taste to it. We had the chicken, artichoke & spinach paella - wont be ordering that again.

    Im a big fan of their tapas though, my fav being the patatas bravas, and the goat cheese croquetas. Def my favs! We also had the seared salmon, heirloom potatoes, chimichurri. Ehhh...wont be ordering that again.

    Also, the sangria was def potent, we had the mango sangria. Pretty tasty.

    I'll be back for more tapas, but I'll skip the paella.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/14/2010

    if you want to make reservations in the area where there is live flamenco, i believe there is a cover charge. the restaurant itself is a large place, a labyrinth perhaps, once you make a turn you find out there is much more.

    one thing i've noticed about Chicago, this city knows how to feed you in terms of quantity. expect large portions. finishing a pitcher of sangria never was quite the chore, but in this case it seemed never ending. pintxo platters are great you get about six bit-size tapas- chorizo wrapped medjool date & manchego, ahi tuna poached in olive oil on avocado toast, goat cheese croqueta,short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper, mushroom & rice croqueta, artisanal spanish cheese & quince. patatas bravas & grilled squid were my absolute favorite. and for dessert, dessert pintxo platter- profiterole, raspberry sorbet, crema catalana, fruit pound cake, marcona almond tart, spanish brownie- was a nice ending to our meal.

    flowing throughout our meal- flamenco music and dance. they all put out a great performance.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/28/2012

    my goodness this place is all that it is cracked up to be. each time is better, though it could be the sangria.

    it's a great date or group spot - i've been for dates, megadates, private events...and each time the service is impeccable, food is amazing, drinks are flowing.

    grab a pitcher (it's more economical, duh) and each pick a few plates...and just have the night keep on going! they won't rush you out, the servers are so attentive and helpful...and you'll never have an empty glass or plate!

    oh yes, and don't get too attached to a specific dish as the menu rotates frequently! (a good and a bad thing :/)

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/6/2012

    This place does not disappoint.  The food has always been great, the sangria is amazing and tonight, the customer service was unreal.  We got there with a reservation for 6 and had to wait maybe 20 extra minutes to be seated because of a mix up.  Wasn't a huge deal to us but the manager was so accommodating and apologetic.  Wasn't even expecting that when the bill came to us at the end of the night he apologized again for the wait and footed the bill for our entire meal.  That just doesn't happen!

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/30/2010

    bland... cold... LOUD... watery sangria... poor service...

    those are just a few things that come to mind. this place is overrated in my opinion... if you don't make a reservation it is not worth the hour wait.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/16/2012
    1 check-in

    This is a great place for tapas and sangrias!! When you visit Chicago...a definite place to see. I had good food with great company!! I will definitely go back when I go back ! =)

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/26/2013

    This is probably my favorite restaurant out there! One of my friends found out about this place and made reservations for all 10 of us to go there for dinner last summer. The smell of the place was delicious... smelled like steak. Their white peach sangria were a hit!!! None of us had leftovers and food were in good proportions. We finished all their food so that shows how good they were! We even ordered more. Usually, we have leftovers but this time none of us did! I must warn everyone though that this place does get crowded and the wait was pretty long. If you want to take out-of-town guests to a classy and not too fancy restaurant, this is a place. They will enjoy it! The atmosphere is great, waiter is accommodating and nice, and place feels like I am in Brazil. Make reservations at least 2 weeks in advanced but I don't think you'd regret it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/12/2010

    I should have written this review a long, long time ago.  As far as Tapas in Chicago, Café Babareeba is my favorite place to go.  I have been to others such as Café Iberico (which is good in its own right), but this place gets the gold star!  The food is absolutely delicious, and the sangria will sneak up on you...after 3 pitchers...haha.  My all time favorite dish here is the Paella Valenciana (chicken, pork, green beans).  I can seriously eat that everyday for the rest of my life.  My other favorites are the Patatas Bravas (spicy potatos), and the beef tenderloin toro (beef skewers).  The service is always good, and the atmosphere is lively.  They have several events at the restaurant, including a Paella cooking class which I have to take.  Tapas can get expensive, especially if you order a lot of plates which range in prices from $5.50 to $11.00, but its definitely worth it.  This is one of my favorite places in Chicago to eat, and that is saying a lot since Chicago is such a great restaurant city.  I'm sorry I couldn't make this review more "funny" or "entertaining" but I just keep picturing that Paella and my mind turns to mush.  Oh, and before I end my review...you MUST order the flan for dessert. YOU MUST!!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/24/2012

    LOVE LOVE LOVE Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  We always sit in the bar at the same middle table by the window....usually because getting a dining table usually always requires a wait and the bar is first come first serve...now its just become 'our table' every time we go.  Food is always great, so is the sangria, and I have never received bad service here.  One of our favs

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  • 2.0 star rating
    11/23/2009

    My experience at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was completely underwhelming.  The mark was missed with many of our plates.  The cold potato salad had way too much raw garlic in it, bread was stale and difficult to eat.  The paella was uninspired and soggy, lacking the crunchy texture that is typical for paella, perhaps they should call it pilaf.  The hot potato plate totally hit the spot however, and the escargot plate was tasty.

    There was some redemption when it came to dessert.  My bread pudding with cherries was delightful!  Sweet tart cherries with a perfect portion of warm bread pudding underneath (well done!)

    There's nothing wrong with BaBaReeba, but there's nothing great either.  It's an over priced place with a plain menu and mediocre meals.  Not worth the price.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/17/2010

    Like some of the other reviewers I also had issues with the reservations. I arrived in time for my reservation and still waited 20 minutes. Kind of defeats the purpose of a reservation. I couldn't get over how packed the place was for a random Wednesday night.

         Being a big eater I don't do Tapas much as I usually need to order about 10 to get full (which can be quite costly).  They had a decent selection of Tapas; my personal favorites were the Crab & Shrimp Dip & the Chicken Empanada.  The dishes were decent, but judging by the crowd you would think these were the best Tapas on earth.

             The place is large, crowded, and pretty loud. Moreover, the server had so many tables, service suffered a bit, it wasn't horrible but if you're the type that likes being waited on hand and foot you won't be pleased.  We did order a pitcher of Sangria, but $90 for a party of four is still a lot for me.

           Overall, if I'm going for Tapas I prefer the Bull El Dias on Southport, it has a more laid back atmosphere and better Tapas. I'd go back, but I wasn't blown away.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/15/2010

    Came here on a double date, and the other couple who apparently love the place proceeded to order everything off the menu. Would have been frustrating had they not paid for the meal at the end. I suppose that's why they were so liberal with their selections. But I have to say, the food was pretty good. I am not a fan of the goat cheese, but the spicy potatoes were delicious. Instead of going into detail on everything we ate that night, suffice it to say that the majority of the dishes were tasty and the portions were filling. We also ordered the red and white sangrias. On this particular occasion, the red sangria was the winner. The prices are a little high, but it's at least worth a try if you're searching for a tapas place in the neighborhood. Fist pump!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/15/2010

    My go-to Tapas spot in town, hands down. My only complaint: you have to book in advance, I haven't managed to snag a table for the weekends between the 6-10pm slot if I call the same day. Crazy!

    The potatoes are great here, real spicy and the aioli is awesome. The goat cheese is the usual, A+. What I love are the pinxtos: bite sized specials. This time ii was an asparagus/goat cheese crisp something.. all I remember was the deliciousness.. But 4 stars are mainly for their desserts. Don't miss the chocolate tres leches. We ordered about two rounds of all the desserts they had on the menu by the end of the night!

    The last time we were there, we had a group of overly drunk frat boy types right next to us.. please, enjoy yourself, be loud and have fun. But don't be obnoxious and disrupt other parties around you. I had to eat my food and convince myself that it wasn't worth me walking over and pouring some Sangria on your drunk faces!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/5/2012

    I've dined here more times than I can count.  There service is always great.  The sangria is delicious and the tapas are right on par.  Worth checking out.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/18/2012

    One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago.  Awesome atmosphere and amazing food for an affordable price.  The potatoes are the most delicious thing ever, I could eat them every day!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/18/2010

    My FAVORITE restaurant in Chicago for any occasion. I wish I could come here every day. I've had birthday parties here, with 10+ people crammed onto the patio... but I've also just sat at the bar for pintxos and white peach sangria (the BEST one, in my opinion).
    Things you must try:
    - bacon wrapped dates
    - mushroom & rice croqueta
    - goat cheese croqueta
    - short rib stuffed piquillo pepper
    - filet with manchego mashed potatoes

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/17/2010

    I didn't dislike this place, but I thought it was extremely overrated. Would I return? Probably not, mostly because it is out of the way and out of my price range (I'm a student, don't judge).

    We had a reservation for 6:30 on a Friday, but we arrived a half an hour early because we had nothing better to do. The place was basically empty at that time, which was surprising. It did fill up pretty quickly though. We might not have needed a reservation at 6:30, but we probably would have by 7.

    Honestly, I had to take a look at the menu online just to remember what I tried here, and it was just two nights ago. The only thing I do remember off the top of my head was that I ordered a hot tomato soup, which was a special and came with little slices of toasted bread with cheese on them. I liked the bread, but the soup basically tasted like the Trader Joe's soup I buy, but it was slightly thicker. I like Trader Joe's soup and all, but I can make it in my microwave at home.

    The tapas I tried were the garlic potato salad, the Spanish artisanal cheeses. The cheeses were cheese (a.k.a. I can't really remember so they must not have made an impression),  but I really liked the garlic potato salad. I think I probably hogged about half of it for myself, but I don't think anyone cared since I'm a vegetarian and don't like mushrooms, so I didn't eat any of half of the other plates. I would have liked to have tried the desserts, but the others I was with didn't want to and I didn't want to seem like a pig.

    Maybe next time, if there ever happens to be a next time.

  • 1.0 star rating
    4/3/2011

    I'm astonished that this joint somehow has four stars.

    I went here for my birthday a couple of months ago with my boyfriend. This would not have been my choice for a birthday dinner, but we had a gift card to use and we were trying to be frugal.

    Anyways. From the get go, the rooms were way too packed. I was hardly able to squeeze by people to get into or out of my seat. The waiter didn't come to our table for over 20 minutes. The food was mediocre to unappetizing (I still can't understand how the scallops were so rubbery). And the bill still topped $100 for the two of us. Luckily.... that's how much our gift card was. Thank goodness... I would not have been too happy to pay that out of pocket.

    I wouldn't return even if another gift card was sent my way.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/1/2012
    3 check-ins

    I have not one complaint. This is by far one of our favorite go to spots for all occasions!! The waitstaff and food are always on point.  Start out in the bar between 4-6 and get $3 appetizers and then grab a table for dinner.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/2/2012

    Came here for a 8pm Sunday night dinner with a group of 6 friends
    The atmosphere was pretty lively considering the time.

    We had a reservation made a couple hours earlier, and we were seated promptly. They have a bunch of recommended dishes highlighted in red, so we just got all of them and a couple extras, plus a pitcher of white sangria.

    The sangria was delicious, and the $19 pitcher filled 5 glasses so it was a pretty good deal too.

    We were all pretty hungry so the complimentary bread was a welcome sight.
    What was even better was how fast the food came out - it felt like under 10 minutes after we ordered, 1-3 dishes started pouring into our table every 5 minutes. Most were fantastic, with a couple being just pretty good.

    Highlights: Bacon Wrapped Dates, Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Sauce, Sweet Potatoes, Lamb Skewer with Lemon/Mint, and some spicy shrimp dish.

    The bill for 6 came out to $125 before tip which we were pleasantly surprised by considering the caliber of food and atmosphere of the place.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/29/2013

    I ate here this weekend during a visit to Chicago, and am sad I don't live closer, because I would definitely be back soon!  The asparagus, garlicky shrimp, fresh fried churros, truffle flat bread and stuffed mushrooms were all flavorful and delicious.  I would have given five stars had the bread and parts of the flat bread not been burnt to the point of bitterness, but I would guess this was incidental rather than the norm.  I felt that we got a decent amount of food for a "small plates" set up.

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/21/2012

    I used to love his place, but became disappointed during my last visit. I don't know if it had anything to do with the fact that it was a Sunday evening. Service was ok, but the food didn't taste fresh. We ordered a paella, which they used to make upon your order and serve it with the pan. This time they brought the rice on a plate; it seemed like it had been cooked a while ago and they just cooked the pork and mixed it up. Even worse, I took a bite of a piece of pork and thought it was probably undercooked, but I just kept telling myself "nah, it's just a bit of the fat". Well, I got soooo sick later that night I regretted not spitting it out when the thought first crossed my mind.
    Oh, and the sangria? I never cared about it. I always thought it was tasteless, but this time I thought I'd try the peach sangria for a change...nah. Even the pieces of fruit looked like they had been cut a while ago.  Go to Cafe Iberico instead.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/11/2011

    Oh my lord! My friends, husband, and I come here for every special occasion and in between. It has to be one of my all time favorite places!
    You HAVE to get the short ribs and my husband loves the shrimp with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes.  I also love the Spanish Caesar salad!
    The garlic potato salad is not as good as Emilios, but I still enjoy it.
    Sangria is also great!! I used to get the cava, but they changed theory recipe and I don't enjoy it as much. I have since switched to the peach which is definitely refreshing. Thank you baba reeba for giving me a taste of Spain at pretty low prices (for Chicago standards!! ) See you soon!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/16/2010

    This place has delicious food. I'm from D.C. and we lack these types of mid-range priced restaurants that are actually GOOD.
    Everything I had was solid and the sangria was delicious, you can't go wrong here.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/15/2010

    I like the idea of cafe ba-ba-reeba, but the actual experience was just a-ok. Small plates to share are fun and social! but...

    it is VERY crowded, VERY loud, tables are on top of each other, so the ambiance isn't great, and i'm all about the ambiance. i've heard horror stories about having to wait even if you have a reservation, tho that wasn't the case for our group of 4, dinner at 8pm on a thursday...

    service was good.

    the food is great! (tho a bit pricey) definitely try the spicy potatoes...

    i guess the moral of the story is that i liked it, and i recommend trying it, but i don't have to go back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/14/2010

    My girlfriend and I have been here many times and every time is a wonderful experience.  I have brought friends and family as well and each has raved about how good everything is from the atmosphere to the food to the delicious variations of sangria flavors.  

    The atmosphere is very close and definitely alive with people having a great time.  If you are looking for a quiet dinner this may not be the place you are looking for.  I highly recommend reservations as it gets very crowded.  There is a lot of seating in different rooms, but it always seems to be packed.  

    The tapas selection is huge.  There is something for everyone, Beef, Chicken, Seafood and Veggies.  I also have a favorite which is the wild mushroom soup.  It is delicious and has a fairly complex flavor.  

    The sangria selection is phenomenal.  They have seasonal selections and their steadfast regular flavors.  All are amazing and just make you want to order another pitcher.  

    I took a paella making class on a Saturday morning here as well.  It was very fun, the food was excellent and the head chef of the restaurant gave us the lesson and was very approachable.  I would recommend this to those of you amateur chefs out there.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/9/2010
    2 check-ins

    It took a while for me to fully appreciate all that is Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  From the first time I visited, I knew I liked the sangria - I've been told by a waiter there that the Black Raspberry is the strongest, and it is definitely the tastiest - but I wasn't too impressed with the food.  But I kept going back and eventually found the perfect dishes.  You may need to try several things here before you figure out what suits your tastes.  

    Here are my faves:

    Spicy Potatoes
    Garlic Potato Salad
    Tortilla Espanola
    Fried Green Peppers
    Grilled Sirloin with Asparagus, Shitakes, and Yukon Potatoes
    Chicken Toro

    I am one of the pickiest eaters in the world, so if you are too and you are worried about going to a place like this, no worries, you will find something you like!

    Also, definitely make a reservation.  This place can get crazy busy.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/30/2013
    2 check-ins

    my go-to tapas spot in the city is cafe iberico. i'd heard lots of great things about ba-ba-reeba, so i was eager to check it out. i like the ambience. i think it's very fun for a group or a date. when i went, we had the passion fruit sangria. it was fine, but didn't taste like there was any liquor in it. i would have to taste their other sangrias to be fair, but on this count, cafe iberico is my preferred choice. the tapas we had were tasty and the desserts, as well. our waiter was great. i would definitely be willing to come back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/2/2011

    Ohhhhhhh man! This place is delicious. Tapas are one of my favorite dishes to eat, especially with groups of 4 or more, and with a pitcher of sangria to wash them all down with.  This place is deceptively large but still has a very small Spanish bar vibe to it which I like.  I've only been twice and my waiter the second time around was less than ideal but that didn't stop everyone from having a great time.  He was especially slow on drinks and with a group of 12 it was a little problematic. We ended up ordering two pitchers of sangria (which was amazing!!!) and immediately ordered another two when they arrived knowing by the time we'd finished our first ones the next round would be on the table soon after.

    A few of my favorite dishes are the bacon wrapped dates, the scallops, the shrimp and the lamb.  Their paella was also very tasty but you have to order it at the start of your meal or before you arrive as it takes 45 minutes to prepare. The desserts are also great, try the banana.

    As for price...as tapas bars goes this place is SOOOOOO REASONABLE I couldn't believe it.  It almost felt like they were underselling themselves but it was great for my wallet and my taste buds. I would highly recommend this place to anyone that wants good food and drinks with friends.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/26/2010
    1 check-in

    I came here with three friends and we ordered half the menu. It was an enjoyable experience.

    Everything was good. I recommend the braised lamb with spinach. The escargot was nice. The one thing that could have been better was the octopus. It had a lot of sand in it still and was not fun to eat.

    I know and have heard that there are a lot better tapas bars in Chicago. I had a fun, interactive experience and didn't break the bank doing it.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/30/2011

    Tasty Passion fruit Sangria, the tapas, eh, not so much. I feel their food is very inconsistent and sometimes a little over done, especially the meats. The bacon wrapped dates are delicious, but I like going to restraunts where most of the food is good, and Im not limited to the same few things or the usual.

    This place isnt the best date place, but good for celebrations or group gatherings. However, the wait is always ridiculous, and not quite worth it. The service however, was great. Each time I've gone, I have had a personable and pleasant waiter.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/14/2010

    Great atmosphere, great menu, great sangria. Make reservations well in advance for Fri/Sat. Good for parties and large groups because you can share tapas and pitchers of sangria. Be sure to try the bacon wrapped dates, olives, paella, and plates of sliced cheeses and meats. Also good for late-night dining, as they are open until midnight.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/13/2010
    2 check-ins

    It seems people run hot and cold on Ba Ba Reeba. Last night was my first time there, and I was cautiously optimistic. I was with a large group, and our table was ready promptly after we arrived. The atmosphere is quite nice, and though it's a little noisy, there are quite a few nooks and crannies that offer a feeling of intimacy.

    The sangria is some of the best I've had, and our server kept a fresh bringing fresh pitchers and filling our glasses. We ordered a dizzying array of dishes, I won't even try to remember them all, but I will speak to my favorites. I ordered a crab cake special that was very good, without a doubt the best crab cake I've had in Chicago. We also had grilled squid, shrimp with garlic, goat cheese in tomato sauce, spicy potatoes, and spinach and manchego stuffed mushrooms. All were fantastic. The pintxos were tasty as well, especially the shrimp and egg salad on toast. I also had bites of the braised lamb, and the beef tenderloin with blue cheese. Nothing disappointed, it was all well above average or excellent. I finished the evening with a chocolate truffle cake and espresso. Can you say "I'll have decadence on a plate"? The bill was quite reasonable for so much food, sangria, and so many people.

    My friends had been to Ba Ba Reeba before, and all remarked that the food quality was improved over previous visits.

    The service was attentive without being pushy or overbearing. It was quite appropriate for the atmosphere and price point. We had late arrivals in our group, and we stayed a long time, but there was not a hint of any grumbling on the part of the staff.

    Perhaps my view of Ba Ba Reeba is a little clouded because it was a great evening with my best friends, but I've never had better tapas in Chicago.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/8/2009

    As a vegan, the only thing I can eat here are the marinated olives and a tomato soup (all fried items are fried with the calamari), but I definitely recommend the Raspberry Sangria (Yum!).  I will be back for Sangria for sure!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/4/2012
    1 check-in

    I really loved the tapas at Ba Ba Reeba.  I thought the salmon and escargot were the best.  Good place if you love seafood and paella.  I've had the chicken kebob type thing too and that was really good but I thought the way it was served was interesting and weird but oh well.  I would definitely recommend it to people who want to go somewhere trendy for Spanish style food and that neighborhood has some good bars too for late night if you want to go out and have some drinks after dinner.  The waiter was friendly and it didn't take too long to get a table and I didn't think they were overly pricey either.  Love it!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/3/2012

    We haven't been here in 15 years but the place still rocks. Excellent tapas, great service. We had a party of seven and had a blast. Highly recommended.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/5/2009

    Best Tapas in the city. Many people know this, however, so you will need a reservation on the weekends if you'd prefer to wait less than an hour. Open Table iphone app works great for this! Lots of great things on a rather large menu of tapas items and they usually have a long list of specials as well. Some old favorites:

    - Bacon wrapped dates. Order one plate per person at the table. I'm not kidding.
    - The fillet with blue cheese sauce
    - any of the croquettes
    - spicy potatoes
    - the calamari (my bf says so)
    - goat cheese with tomato sauce and toast points

    I've also had the paella a couple of times but that takes much longer to prepare and is best if you have a big group to split it up amongst to supplement the tapas. It was very good, not too dry like at some other tapas places I've been to (Emilio's, sadly).

    They have a great selection of sangrias, I especially like the mango and blackberry flavors. Their mini pitchers are the perfect size for 2 or 3 to share.

    I've had my birthday here a couple of times. They accommodate groups well, they have tons of seating they are just very popular, so plan ahead with your reservations.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/21/2013

    Fun, hip, and tasty bites. Great Chicago go-to.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/5/2011

    Super good food, and SUPURB sangria. Slightly pricey, but convince someone else it's their turn to pay.

    Did I mention that every single lady that walks in is absolutely gorgeous? That's a plus.

  • 2.0 star rating
    10/22/2010

    Nothing really stood out for me here. We tasted a lot of dishes and had some sangria. It was all fine but I was expecting more. The bacon wrapped dates were nice, the spicy potatoes were good, the salmon was just OK and the other dishes weren't very memorable.

    Also, has anyone else ever noticed the strong odor of fish when you walk in? The floors were slippery too, weird.

    All in all, just not impressed.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/14/2012

    I like  their pintxos idea. I also loved the gluten free short rib.. Mmm.. delicious... Nice ambience...

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/9/2010

    There's a reason that this place has been around for so long, because it delish.
    We went last night and had such a good time. Sangria was great to start off, then we got some shishito peppers which were AMAZING. Followed by tons of other items, I really remember the escargot being super awesome as well as the garlic potato salad. Desserts were killer too, especially the butterscotch creme.
    Cant wait to go back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/10/2012

    Great tasting food, fantastic prices, knowledgeable staff.  So glad I discovered this place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/6/2012

    The food here was spectacular, as was the atmosphere and service.  We ordered one of each of the pintxos.  They were all good, but the chorizo wrapped dates were amazing.  You could probably make a meal of them alone.  My wife ordered a few tapas (salmon, meatballs and stuffed mushrooms) and I got the paella de mariscos.  The meatballs were some of the best I've ever tasted, as was the shrimp in the paella.  The black raspberry sangria was delicious, if a little sweet.  The bitter orange beauty was a great twist on an old fashioned.  Since it was our anniversary (which we let them know when making the reservation) they gave us a free deserts (chocolate truffle cake and butterscotch custard) which were delicious.  Overall, this was a great experience.  Anyone who likes Spanish food should check this place out.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/17/2010

    BEST tapas place i've tried so far. Can't remember exactly what we ordered, but the fried potatoes were a little spicy and came with a yummy tomato cream sauce. The steak tapa was very very tender and the chicken kebab was very good as well.The stuffed mushrooms were also delicious!  They have many different flavors of sangria...i tried the passion fruit sangria and it was VERY GOOD! I can't wait to go back!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/10/2012

    Everything was great!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/14/2011
    3 check-ins

    This is about as good as it gets for a spanish restaurant.  Welcoming and comfortable atmosphere made me feel like I was back in Spain at someone's (large) home.  Ate here for an early dinner on Sunday afternoon and the place was packed by 5:30pm.  While I really like Cafe Iberico just down the road, that place gets really loud when full.  This place not nearly as much.
    Dishes we really enjoyed were the potato salad, house spiced spanish olives (a must order for me everytime), endive salad, serrano ham and tomatoe paste, sirloin with shitake and asparagus, crema catalana and blackberry sorbet.  
    Washed it down with a few Estrella Damn's and all was good.
    Service was excellent from the waiter to the runners.
    Looking forward to the return.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/12/2011

    This was one of my most amazing dining experiences in my almost 1 year of living here.

    So the first great thing is that I made a reservation via their website in advance, which was smart because when we walked in, it was super packed on a Saturday night at 6:30.  They sat us down immediately which was very nice.

    I went with my mom and we ordered 4 tapas plus sangria, and it was the perfect amount of food:

    White Peach Sangria
    Passion Fruit Sangria
    Goat cheese baked in tomato sauce
    Garlic Potato salad
    Seared salmon with potatoes and chimchurri sauce
    Braised lamb with couscous and spinach

    There wasn't a single bad dish and they came out soooo fast!  The waiter just kept bringing the dishes faster than we could eat them actually.

    Anyways, the meal was phenomenal and we didn't leave too stuffed or hungry.  I highly recommend it!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/28/2010

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba once again was a delight to eat at.  Great food.  Nice atmosphere, but loud when full. Prices have escalated.

    This time we had the Goat Cheese and Tomato sauce with bread was excellent as always.  The Meatballs with Sherry sauce were spicier than I remember, but really good.  The Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese was great, but only two pieces of meat seemed kind of chintzy for $11.  Last we had a Salmon special of the day that was also good.

    We also had a recommended bottle of red wine, which was good but was a little pricey at $40.

    It seems they've raised the prices since I was there about 6 months ago.  Maybe it's the economy, maybe it's because Emilio's has closed, but I payed $30-40 more for essentially the same food as last time.  And they're not hurting for patrons.  There was still a waiting line at 10pm.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    6/19/2013

    My husband and I were really excited about coming here because we were just in Spain, so we were very familiar with the traditional tapas and wanted to see how it measured up.  The sangria was good, but tasted a lot like juice, so I switched to a Spanish Tempranillo which was delicious.  We started with some small bites, the shortrib stuffed in a pequillo pepper was amazing!  We got the Moorish chicken, calamari, and sweet potatoes.  All were really good.  The only major complaint I had was the octopus, which is one of my favorite dishes.  It was not only the most expensive dish we ordered, but the most disappointing.  It was way too salty, barely edible, and even after squeezing a ton of lemon juice, it was still difficult to eat.  I was really disappointed.  Other than that, I enjoyed the service, our waitress gave us a free round of desserts which were incredible.  I would come back again, but I will not be getting the octopus again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/17/2012

    This place is sooo good! Eat with all hearts!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/17/2010

    I went here for my birthday this past month and it was solid tapas. We ordered the bacon wrapped dates (amazing!), the manchego cheese (good), a cured meet sampler (good), grilled squid (ok), beef empanadas (good) and a paella (which could be skipped). We also had a pitcher of the white passion fruit sangria which was quite good!

    Overall, not the greatest food I've had, but definitely solid and a fun place and atmosphere for a fun night out with friends!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/21/2010
    2 check-ins

    Good food for a variety of tastes. Had great services - if you're in a small group, make sure to ask your server to stagger the food. Table space can become a bit tight, not to mention space drastically decreases with the arrival of food.

    Great summer place, as they have an outdoor patio (NOTE: patio is first-come, first-serve. No reservations for patio seating). I've been coming here about once a year for the past several years. It continues to be hopping, energetic and consistent.

    Recommendations: Paella is always a favorite, but I recently feel they've been adding too much tomato base to the rice. It leaves things a bit too moist for my taste. Baked goat cheese in tomato sauce, spicy potatoes and short ribs are always a sure win.

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/11/2010

    Okay so let me start by saying everything was cooked (temp wise) to perfection. Nothing wrong with it in that manner. But season wise it was bland. I enjoyed the "House Plate" the hams and spiced meats were really good. But everything else lacked flavor.

    We called ahead and were seated within half an hour of arrival. So that wasn't bad. Our server was attentive and nice.

    But again the food was bland. So I will go somewhere else the next time my wife wants the tapas.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/26/2010

    Bill tells me you ate at Ba Ba Reeba once.
    Yeah.
    How does this one compare to that one?
    If you're gonna compare Ba Ba Reeba, you compare it to every other Tapas place ever made... that wasn't made by umm Ba Ba Reeba.

    Delicious food, great energy, summer patio, and steps from my house (which doesn't help any of you unless you live on the intersection of Lincoln and Webster, but this isn't your review now, is it?).

    P.S. I swear that sangria saves some of the guys who bring their dates here.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/28/2012

    delicious tapas as always!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/20/2012

    Have gone here for years with the wife for special occasions. Always jammed which is needless to say they are doing something right. Service is always good as is the food. Pricey for leaving hungry most of the times I go. I just drink more sangria to make up for it!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/8/2010

    I have been looking forward to dining here for the LONGEST time ;p and yes it met my expectations.

    It seems like a really tiny restaurant from the outside but when you walk in the interior expands out far, and gives almost like a little villa feeling. (well so I thought ;p)

    Our waitress was very friendly, it was our first time so she took the time to walk us through the menu, and also gave us her recommendations. We ordered the paella ahead of time because it takes about 30-40min, and started out with a pitcher of white peach sangria and a dish of bacon wrapped dates. Seems like a simple dish but it was very tasty ;)

    Had two more dishes before the seafood paella came. The paella was a beauty and indeed delicious. It was my first time having paella but I LOVED it ;) Too bad I couldn't finish my portion because I was full from the pitcher ;p

    Next time I'd have to pace myself and probably not drink as much ;p

    Loved the atmosphere, Loved the service, Loved the food.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/26/2012

    I live very close to baba reba and we love it! It is great in the summer because you can sit on the patio. It's important to make a reservation because the wait is always long-especially on the weekends. However, if you call ahead the day of and something opens, they are willing to take you. I love the food. You really cannot go wrong, but some specials to note are the spicy potatoes, scallops, salmon, and the meatballs are GREAT!

    One note is that it does get loud and your food arrives in shifts so you won't have everything come at once.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/7/2010

    Arriba! Arriba! Cafe Ba Ba Reeba!

    I was here years ago for a girls' weekend and came here for tapas.  For months after I would dream about their lobster paella.  I was finally able to return and enjoy the paella of my dreams (thanks to the patience of our server)

    Lobster paella is not on the regular menu.  When I got there, I was sad to see Shrimp & Scallops.  Once I ordered that, I then saw that the obster and scallops paella was listed on the specials.  Our server indulged me and had the kitchen do Shrimp and Lobster for a little bit more.

    But I digress...the paella is only one of the delicious dishes this place serves.  Allow me to provide you a glimpse onto our order;
       Serrano Ham w/ Tomato Bread - tomato bread is sweet w/ a kick
       Chicken Empanadas - my friend's eye nearly rolled into the back of her head
       Spicy Potatos w/ tomato aioli - That aioli..wish they can bottle it.
       Seared Octopus w/ Potato - perfectly grilled. Fresh w/ a crisp and not mushy. So simple. So good!

    I'll be back Cafe Ba Ba Reeba...I'll be back!
      and finally... the Sangria is a perfectly blended pitcher of red liquid  goodness.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/24/2013
    1 check-in

    Decent.  Good fun place.  Little rough around the edges, but I guess that gives it its charm.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/2/2010

    I'm not a huge fan of tapas - the small portions and high prices - so I took a star off for that. Judging by the taste of the food, it's a 4, but price and size of serving still play a part in the meal and this is a place you can spend quite a bit and not be completely full when you leave. The atmosphere is very nice though and it's in a great location although it makes parking a little hard. After 6 there is just street parking at the meters that's a little hard to find and 2 hours max, and valet for $11.
    But back to the food- the bacon wrapped dates are my favorite! I like the Spanish meatballs a lot too.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/6/2010

    I was taken here this past Friday evening as a birthday gift and we had a really great time.  I had been here before, but it was great to be back again after a few years to re-experience BaBareeba.

    It's intimidating to look at the giant menu, but it helps if you have gift cards and are able to spend without really thinking about it-- all those little guys add up!!

    the short-rib stuffed piquillo pepper was amazing, and the staples like goat cheese in tomato sauce and meetballs in spicy sauce never disappoint.  While you're there, just have the sangria-- it really is quite good.

    The only complaint I had was about the seating this time around.  We were in kind of a dark corner that just didn't seem as vibrant and fun as the rest of the place. the company I was with more than made up for that, naturally, but I'd like to see them exert the same decor effort throughout the restaurant.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/10/2011

    I have a severe food allergy to anything containing cow's milk. As such it's a pain to eat out for me most of the time and while I was going to be in Chicago for the day with a friend we really wanted to eat someplace nice. So I contacted Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba ahead of time via e-mail with my concerns and got a reply within 10 minutes from one of the owners; who said that he'd have the executive chef e-mail me back later that day when he was available. Needless to say, they were able to handle my concerns easily.

    When we got there we quickly became happy that we had made a reservation ahead of time as right after we got there the restaurant got very busy (same night Dan C. went), and we got a table as soon as we were in the door.

    Our waiter was attentive, very knowledgeable about the menu and made some great recommendations. He was also easily able to tell me what on the menu I was or was not allergic to.  There was some confusion as to who our waiter was when we came in. My friend and I didn't have an issue with this as the wait was still small and the service after the issue was sorted out was so perfect that it more than made up for the slight lack, for this we were comped our sangria and our deserts.

    The food as others on Yelp have said, is phenomenal. It was my first time in a tapas bar and I was constantly and thoroughly impressed with the food. The last fine dinning experience I had was Avec, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba beat them hands down in my mind.

    Having driven 3 hours to get to the city for our night out I can easily say that the drive was more than worth it and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba will be a place I visit again in the future. The near future that is.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/25/2010

    The Tapas Monster returns to one of the oldest tapas spots in Chicago. Yesterday was a bit of a reunion and a nice night out on the town with old friends. I've become addicted to the Spanish cuisine for about two months now and knew that tapas would make for the best choice to go out for. Enter Cafe Ba Ba Reeba.

    I made reservations two days before and the restaurant was incredibly accommodating when we arrived early. No wait or hassle even though it was fairly crowded. We arrived early and were seated in what seemed like a party room, or just an extension of the main dining hall. As I walked through the restaurant, I loved the atmosphere and decor. It actually reminded me a bit of Disney World. Authentic, but in a playful way. I don't mean that as a bad thing! When seated we quickly ordered a pitcher of the Black Raspberry Sangria. It arrived quickly and I have to say, pretty tasty! A little too fruity and I didn't think it fairly strong, but I wasn't ready to get loaded.

    For food we went ahead with the spicy potatoes which were fantastic! I expected that, but I really enjoyed these. We ordered a second round! My friends got plenty of meat (!) including chicken skewers and beef. They really enjoyed it. I also went ahead with the garlic potato salad. Weird, not too bad. After a round of food we ended up ordering two more pitchers of sangria including the Mango and The Classic. I felt that after awhile the drinks dwindled in alcohol content. Fortunately I was having a blast and didn't mind it.

    So why 3 stars? For a table of five, we were obnoxiously cramped. The table was too small and our seats kept hitting other guests so much to the point that my friend continuously had to turn around and ask the guy to stop bumping her. Plus the menus are ginormous and knocked over a glass of my sangria (pre-drinking, mind you). The size really bothered me for awhile, but I got over it. With that said, I really enjoyed this place. Solid food, good drinks, and made for a great night out. I'd recommend, although there are a few better tapas places to his before Cafe Ba Ba Reeba.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/24/2011

    Sangria is good, but had better. Short ribs & bacon wrapped dates were great. Lots of other places I'll go before I go back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/8/2011
    1 check-in

    I come here about once a month now!  (I'd go more often if I could afford it) SOOOO delicious!  Definitely the place I bring guests visiting, too!

    Every single tapa is amazing...but the one I crave is definitely the braised beef!  Wine, delicious.  Bloody mary bar, amazing!  Service, prompt.  Bread, to die for.  

    Seriously, if you haven't come to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba yet, you're missing out.

    Oh, and sign up to receive their text promotions.  They are not over bearing and they really help out.  I got an awesome dessert platter the other night, for free!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/26/2011

    I recently moved to Chicago and Cafe Babareeba has been my go-to spot to take friends and family visiting. The vibe is super lively and the food is good and relatively inexpensive.

    I got the bacon wrapped dates, spicy potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, baked goat cheese and shrimp in garlic and I would recommend everything i ate. The service is always great.

    The only downside would be the long wait on the weekends. They really aren't joking when they say there is going to be a two hour wait. I would definitely call ahead or sometimes if you go and wait, you can find a spot at the bar earlier.

    Also, they frequently have deals if you check in on foursquare!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/24/2011
    1 check-in

    LOVE IT!

    Awesome tapas + tasty sangria= 4 stars
    - 1 star for being super cramped.
    I recommend the bacon wrapped dates, the spicy potatoes, and the spicy shrimp :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/13/2010
    1 check-in

    Came here on a Saturday night with Joanna H. We made reservations in advance for 9:30 pm, and when we got there it was still packed with people.

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba isn't a place to go to if you want nice ambience. It's loud, the chairs aren't exactly very comfortable, and expect a large crowd. But the FOOOOD. The food is pretty awesome. We ordered a bunch of things - the serrano ham, salchichon, chorizo, the roast dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette, rioja short ribs, manchego mashed potatoes, the beef skewer, horseradish cream & red onions, the ahi tuna, and seared scallops. Everything was portioned out really well and the mix of flavors was just incredible. Our server was also very helpful and attentive, which of course added to the experience.

    You would think after eating all that we would be too full for dessert, but nope! We ordered the flan, truffle, banana and butterscotch (four desserts!). The flan was just average, but everything else was superb.

    Would definitely like to come back if I'm ever in Chi-town. A must try!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/19/2010
    2 check-ins

    Pintxos:

    Had the platter and found the tuna and short rib boring and tasteless. It'd be worth the effort to order the singles and eliminate the tuna and short rib; you wouldn't miss much at all. The wrapped date was fantastic and worth doubling-up on.

    Tapas:

    ahi tuna, shaved vegetable salad: Excellent. Tuna is not cooked (thank god), and has a nice spice to it while not totally obscuring the easily destroyed flavor of the fish. The vegetable salad was good, but a few too many carrots for my liking. The aioli was delicious - there just wasn't enough!

    chicken & curry salad: The most generous portion of anything I've had there. Another winner. Needs more crunch - maybe some celery. I could eat this all day long on a french roll.

    serrano ham, salchichon, chorizo: Pretty good. Not a fan of the bread, but the meats and cheese were tasty, and the unmentioned olives much appreciated.

    crab & shrimp dip with piquillo peppers: cheesy and pretty good with the toast, but not a home run; a bit on the greasy side, and the crab was hard to come by.

    Drink and Service:

    Standard red sangria worked well. Some of the other flavors were a bit out there, and the server was less than enthusiastic about anything but the old standbys, for both flavor and alcohol content.

    Service was good. The kitchen seemed a bit out of step with orders, so there were delays and incorrectly timed arrivals of tapas. Not a deal breaker by any means, though. The server was more concerned about the service shortfalls than I was.

    I've been here a few times, and have yet to be disappointed. Past visits have included paella, which has been good but not rock-the-house tasty.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/2/2013
    1 check-in

    Great Spanish tapa style cuisine. I recommend the dates with bacon, delicious!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/19/2012

    I went here on a saturday night and the place was packed! The hostess gave me a pager but ended up just sitting at the bar. The bartender (I wish I remembered his name) was very friendly and attentive. Cafe ba ba Reba is a tapas style restaurant so we ordered pretty much everything on the menu. The bacon wrapped dates were soooooo good! We had ordered a pitcher of the mango and razzberry sangria, which was amazing. Definitely hoping to go back soon!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/8/2010

    Another restaurant I was lucky enough to eat at during my birthday week!  I heard many great things about this place from my friends, so I had to try it. I LOVEEEE tapas, so I was already super excited.

    The service was wonderful here; she was very helpful and was attentive.  The mango sangria is soo delicious too and complimented the dinner very well!  We also ordered some scallops, shrimp and green beans paella, and it was everything I've been craving for.  The rice was cooked great, and the portion was perfect for two people.  The different tapas was yummy!!  My favorite were the spicy potatoes with tomato aioli!  I would definitely go back just for that!  The shrimp with garlic , olive oil, and pepper flakes was also pretty amazing.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/6/2010

    I can't think of a reason not to give Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba 5 stars!
    Went there on a Sunday night for a catch up dinner with a gal pal. We were seated promptly, got a pitcher of thirst-quenching sangria and gabbed the night away.
    Everything we ordered was delivered quickly and timed nicely (can sometimes be a problem with Tapas). Bacon-wrapped dates, mushroom empanada, spare ribs, & goat cheese in tomato sauce are all on the list of things I can definitely recommend.
    We also got a few of the little desserts and the caramel thing (can't remember what it was really called) may just be the highlight of the meal.
    Server was friendly and attentive. The bill was way less than we had expected. All in all, a great way to end the weekend!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/25/2010

    I have never been to a tapas restaurant with such a variety of sangria! I thought I would slip into a sangria coma in sangria heaven.  

    Try the Passion Fruit sangria.

    Regardless, great tapas restaurant. The menu is set up so each plate is put into a category. For example, beef, fish/seafood, salads, etc. I loved this layout because I could easily get each genre of meat. Scallops, patatas fritas, salmon are all great choices. The service was great. My guest and I were able to get a table within 15 minutes on a Saturday night on the patio, and in that time, we waited at the bar. Great thing about this place is they announce your table over a loud speaker - no way you can miss your table.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/20/2011

    Does it need yet another review? LOVE LOVE LOVE! Always great food and service! In celebration of their 25th anniversary this year they gave out $25 giftcards if you turned 25, too--that's the kind of customer service I'm talking about and keeps me coming back. That and their gluten-free menu (for those special eaters in your life...) which wasn't bad either. Still my default place!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/12/2010

    Tapas is way overpriced in Chicago no matter where you go. Most of the stuff you get here is really simple and you should be able to get at a deli or somewhere, but there just aren't places that sell it... so we have tapas restaurants.

    You're paying $7 or $8 for little plates of simple food, BUT its delicious and its fun. Get the bacon wrapped dates.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/20/2010
    2 check-ins

    Hmmm sangria.

    Ive been here a few times, you definately need to be a fan of tapas to enjoy this place.  I really only go here on special occassion, but im always satisfied.  MAKE A RESERVATION if you plan on eating dinner here for a date or group.  Or hope to find a spot at the bar which i enjoy just as much....less people there.  They have a massive patio that i am determined to enjoy one of these nights...looks like the place to be

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/7/2010

    I LOOOOVE this place!! The food was AMAAZING! I ate myself almost sick. I've been to spain, and this place definitely studied the cuisine! The sangria was also excellent. Service was great, the waitress even put up with my crazy uncle! =P Too bad I don't live in Chicago....

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/12/2010

    LOVE this place!!!
    without a doubt, best tapas in town. the environment is pretty authentic with the jamon serrano legs hanging on top of the bar.. the patio is great, the service is really good and the most important thing the food is AWESOME! My favorite is the goat cheese with tomato sauce, which is actually pretty simple, but I just really enjoy its flavor. The croquetas are awesome too and the calamari as well. They have the best Paella I've tried out of Spain!
    I had dinner there again last night and once more I was a totally satisfied costumer. I absolutely recommend it!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/11/2010

    I went here the other night for a friend's birthday.  We had a party of fifteen so we made reservations a few days in advance.  Because we had such a large party, we were in a back room, which was fine with us because we planned on being obnoxious.

    The food was awesome.  I love bacon wrapped dates and was amped to see them on the menu.  I also had the ham and chicken croquetas.  I tried a bit of everything my friends ordered, and only one dish disappointed.  The chicken curry had no flavor to it, but you can't win them all.  My friends also hyped up the sangria, so I couldn't wait to try it.  It was awesome.  I had the peach and I think blackberry sangrias.  

    The service was pretty good.  Our waiter messed up one of our dishes, but he took it off the bill and gave my friend a free dessert.

    I'd go back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/23/2012

    I flew in from Boston last Saturday (didn't know about the NATO summit until we booked the flight). We heard about this place and having discovered how easy the Chicago Subways are to figure out we decided to get off at the Armitage stop and give it a try. We loved it. Plenty of seating and so laid back. No rush at all. Their menu is breakfast or tapas. No sandwiches or entrees. But if you're coming in from O'Hare and just want some snacks or a late breakfast this is the place. We had a pitcher of cava sangria that was phenomenal and aplenty and reasonably priced. Good chorizo, brisket, fresh vegetables...plenty of bread and butter to spread. Easy going staff and efficient and seemingly perpetual bussing yet not in a hurry-up-and-leave kind of way. Very enjoyable.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/21/2010

    Went here for dinner last night with some friends. I've never been, but a friend loves it and suggested it.

    I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of most of the food, but did not like only two things:

    - the lamb: was very gamy and shredded much like a pulled pork or beef, layered on top of spinach which was on top of some cous cous. Had it been mixed together like a stew, I think it would have been better.

    - the ahi tuna: maybe it was just an off batch or night, but it was cut very thick and was very chewy. Not good. They did take it off our bill though.

    Overall, I'd maybe go back, but I'd prefer other "sharing" places where I know every dish is going to be great.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/28/2013
    1 check-in

    Lovely tapas joint. This place is always packed - even on a random weeknight. That's how you knows it's going to be good. They have a pretty sweet patio but a bit hard to actually get seats out there. Anyhow, even without patio seating, it's still worth the visit.

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/23/2011
    1 check-in

    3 stars are not because the place was bad, service was great and flavors good, only problem is, it is not real spanish food, so as long as you are not expecting the real deal you should be fine

    Patatas bravas were way over cooked and the sauce was not a real aioli, most options seemed to be fried versions of spanish dishes and very few options of something fresh and not too heavy.....truth be told this place does not have real authentic spanish food and/or variety. We'll see if Cafe Iberico is better

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/17/2010

    Seriously, what do you say about a place that has a 4 star average with over 600 reviews? I'll just let you know the highlights of my meal:

    -Sangria pitcher for $19. 'Nuff said.
    -Soup of the Day: Tortilla soup, one of the best I've ever had.
    -The aioli sauce with the mushroom empanada. Sinful.
    -Seared scallops. Holyjeezusdeliciousness.

    And great service! With a big group of 15, you'd think somehow they'd screw up our order but I didn't hear one complaint from anyone at our table. However, I'm not a fan of the fact that she couldn't split up our bill (even when four of us at one of the table asked for our food to be put on a separate check at the beginning of the meal - minus one star).

    So fun, so fun, so fun. Worth the wait, as long as you've got the sangria in your hand.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/1/2010

    My roommate and I are on our way to becoming regulars at the Cafe Ba Ba Reeba Tapas Bar. The happy hour food prices are reasonable, their sangrias are delicious (and surprisingly potent), and their mushroom and rice croquetas are addictive.
    Most memorable items so far:
    Mushroom and rice croquetas, chicken and ham croquetas (the red sauce on the side is amazing!), short rib stuffed peppers, Spanish potato salad, and the bacon-wrapped dates.
    P.S. Sign up for their text message coupons. Thank me later.

  • 2.0 star rating
    5/14/2010

    I think I've confused myself by looking at the other reviews...
    Where did all these stars come from? I must have been hit on the head!

    Last night I went out to a new place chosen by a friend who thought I'd would be funny to see if I would yelp about it, sure enough I walked in deducting stars. I have an image to hold the people must know!

    Any who, We asked for a table and the wait was 1 hour, okay fine, so we sat and waited in the walkway with two benches that leads into the restaurant. We both thought the hostesses was rude but I ignored her and sat patiently.  My friend realized that you had to be inside the restaurant to hear them call your name. So why isn't there speakers in the waiting hall so when they call your name you can hear instead of blocking the entrance?

    Well we got up and waiting in the packed area surrounding the bar and next to the kitchen. It was so loud you couldn't even hear the announcer ask for the name waiting to be seated. It made me worried we wouldn't hear our name because they don't come and get you. Sure enough an hour later we ask and our table is finally ready.

    Now it was been raining for a week here and were seated outside which I was excited for until our table was on a rug near the portable kitchen outside for the servers. Note: Wet rugs are worse than wet dogs! So the smell was atrocious. My friend didn't notice so I left it alone and we order almost everything off the menu from goat cheese, to shrimp, pork, steak, chicken and chorizo. Can you say yum!
    The goat cheese and steak was the only thing I enjoyed.  Needless to say I will not be giving this place another try which is disappointing since Lettuce Entertain You always has a great selection of restaurants.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    5/15/2013

    I lived in Spain. I LOVE tapas. This place was probably one of the better tapas places I have been to since living in Barcelona. The food was good, didnt have to wait long and the staff was really friendly. Being a vegetarian I always have a hard time finding things I can eat at tapas places but there were plenty of things to try here. The only thing I had that I didn't like was the churros- they were pretty greasy and definitely not up to par with the real thing but hey- its Chicago.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/23/2010

    I went here for my friend's Bachelorette Party. We made reservations and were still forced to wait for over an hour. So we ordered some pitchers of Sangria while we waited.

    The Sangria was pretty good. However, i was not wowed by any of it sadly.

    When we finally got to sit down at a table we ordered some tapas.
    My favorites were:
    -spicy potatoes with tomato alioli
    -traditional tomato bread & manchego
    -goat cheese baked in tomato sauce
    -grilled squid with olive oil & garlic
    -rioja short ribs, manchego mashed potatoes

    The portions are a little small as it is a tapas place. The overall ambiance is very nice. The waiter made our wait worthwhile and was super helpful with picking tapas and always made sure we were not out of anything for too long!!

    A must try none the less though!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/10/2010

    I used to delay going here because I'd heard people say it's over hyped, unfriendly, not good for vegetarians. Boy was I wrong. Ba-Ba-Reeba blew my mind.
    We were a party of 6 adults and 2 children on a very busy Saturday night. We had a reservation but they were running 25 mins late. We didn't kick up a fuss and waited at the bar. What followed was spectacular service, beautifully flavored food and free dessert!!! Yes they said dessert was on the house for making us wait that long.

    We had two of the chicken empanadas, mushroom empanadas, spicy potatoes, goat cheese, octopus, short rib, market vegetables (from the specials menu)... and some other meat I don't remember. Everything was fantastic. The flavor was right, the portions were right. It was incredible.

    They also brought out the kiddies menus real fast and went out of their way to keep the kids entertained. I couldn't not believe what a fantastic night we'd had, despite starting dinner at 9:30. We plan to go back very soon :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/22/2007

    I don't care what some people say. I love this place. You think it's overpriced? I've been to tapas places that are way pricier, serve worse food, and offer less to choose from on their menu. True, it tends to be overcrowded, but this place is huge and has tons of seating, so as long as you go a little past prime dinner time, or go on a weeknight, you won't have to wait very long.

    The sangria here is tasty, although not very strong. The food is almost always solid, if not downright delicious. True, a lot of it is very simple stuff that you could make at home if you had any kind of culinary skill at all, but, then again, who the hell would want to clean up after having a tapas party? Not me.

    Yes, the bacon wrapped dates are awesome. No question about that (this actually IS one of those things you could EASILY make at home... just bake in the oven and reduce some apple cider on the stove top).

    If you happen to live on the east coast like me, you will appreciate this place even more, seeing as how all the tapas places I've been to in the Northeast pale in comparison to the ones in Chicago.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/14/2010

    I love Ba-Ba-Reeba.  They're consistently tasty and have very generous portions for tapas.  I had a friend in town who was my roommate when I lived in Spain.  We ordered a cheese plate, a ham plate, olives, tortilla, bacon wrapped dates, albondigas (meatballs), and queso de cabra and were definitely not disappointed.  The traditional sangria is also pretty delicious.

    We sat on the patio, which was nice, but they didn't cover it when it started to drizzle and was threatening to rain pretty hard, so that's slightly annoying.

    I've eaten here many times over the years (my family loves Lettuce Entertain You restaurants) and would definitely recommend it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/5/2010

    This place is FANtastic!

    For the past few years (well, forever), I've been a fan of Cafe Iberico and was quite stubborn to try anything else.  A friend and I were in the area shopping so we decided to stop by for an early dinner.

    The service here is spot on.  The peach sangria was delicious once the ice melted a little.  Every dish we ordered seemed to best the previous.  I'd definitely recommend the goat cheese in tomato sauce - that was by far my favorite dish of the night.  Their Pintxo platter is fantastic as well, a small taste of some popular tapas.

    The only dish I was disappointed in was their garlic potato salad.  That's one dish that I feel Cafe Iberico surpasses them at.  Their cocktails are also extremely strong.  Definitely stick with their sangria.

    I'll definitely be heading here more often than Iberico.  Impeccable service, fantastic atmosphere & decor, and most importantly, ample street parking!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/22/2011

    I love this place and have been here several times.  It is in a fabulous location, always crowded and fun, and good authentic Spanish food and Sangria.  I went most recently with a Spanish friend of mine who also loved the food.  We had the classic old faithful jamòn serrano with queso manchego, pan con tomate and olives.  We also ordered the pinxos platter which was not your traditional pinxos in terms of bread with a tapa on tap (more or less) but were still very tasty.  The sangria was also delicious and not too sugary.  When it's nice outside, you can sit in this outdoor covered patio area.  Definitely check this place out!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/17/2012

    I chose this place over Cafe Iberico. Delicious pintxos. I watch a lot of Spanish movies so I've heard of a lot of Spanish foods like pintxos, tapas, gazpacho, paella, but it is my first time trying Spanish food.  The waitress answered all our questions and we had a lot. My mom and I both sampled a pintxos. I had the goat cheese croqueta pintxo and she had the deviled egg, bacon and mustard. For tapas, I had the rioja-braised short ribs and mashed potatoes. It's a small plate, but very filling and delicious. The meat is very tender and the mashed potatoes have some kind of cheese on it.
    She had the endive, blue cheese, walnuts and membrillo. It was a salad- style tapa. It tasted some. It tasted so fresh. I didn't order any paella because they have to give you 2 servings at least and you have to pay for each, which is $11-13 and I'm saving for my birthday.
    I also had a black raspberry sangria in a glass. I didn't want to get a 1/2 pitcher or full pitcher because my mom doesn't drink and I don't want to have to drink that all by myself. I couldn't get drunk. I had other things to do.
    For dessert, I took home 6 pintxo Spanish brownies. They were delicious. They had some kind of white sugar powder on them and chocolate pudding.
    The restaurant and bathroom were clean and the decoration of the restaurant is festive. Also, I was seated next to someone who was in my Women's Health Issues class so it's a great place for college kids to hangout.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/8/2010

    Our experience at Ba-Ba-Reeba was totally solid. We went for a birthday party (10 of us) - it's a great place for birthdays. The service was lovely; our waitress knew tons about the menu, and knew where every single dish was headed when it arrived to the table.

    The food was awesome - a few standouts (bacon-wrapped dates, goat cheese croqueta, mushroom empanada, escargot; to name a few) and everything else was really good. Nothing sub-par. Sangria was also very solid. We first got the regular Red and the Concord Grape; the next round we just ended up getting the Red. The grape was very...grape-y.

    Price was good, especially for the booze (4 pitchers of sangria turned out to be $12 each). Overall no one spent more than $40 and all left very satisfied and full.

    My only complaint was that the place is so loud. We found it was hard to have decent conversation, and people a few seats away from each other couldn't hear each other. Just keep that in mind. All in all, a very enjoyable experience! Make those reservations, though, the wait looked terrible (even though the place is HUGE).

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/6/2009

    FINALLY..... after having been in Chicago for over a year, I managed to get some serious Tapas on at Ba-Ba-Reeba last night with a delightful, fun group of 8 gals and guys.  

    Other Yelpers have gushed more than adequately about the awesome food, atmosphere, service, etc.  So, without laziness, I shall refer the reader to those reviews to bypass redundancy.  Meanwhile, I shall highlight some of the mouth-watering dishes we feasted on:

    - Beef tenderloin toro brochetas (with tomato bread and caramelized onions... MmM!!)
    - bacon wrapped dates in apple vinaigrette
    - Escargot.  Just close your eyes and shove it into your mouth.  It's buttery-garlic amazing.
    - Braised lamb with couscous
    - seafood paella (min. 2 orders ---which equates tapas-size tasting of paella for a group of 6-8)

    Oh yeah, SOLID SANGRIA!

    The only gripe I had (though not too tragic) was that their patio seating policy (only for groups of 6 or less) did not accommodate our group of 8.  Nevertheless, that shall not hinder my return to BBRB in the near future --- hopefully before the summer in Chicago officially ends!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/12/2012

    I really like this place.  Love the idea of small plates big enough to try something that you may not like.  The sangria is probably the BEST in the city.  They have so many flavors to choose from.  A great spot for a girls night to try new things and drink sangria. :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/11/2011

    I love this place...you can have a little bit of this, a lot of that....It's like a little bit of heaven!  Can't decide on if you want, beef, chicken or lamb?  Have them all!

    The Sangria is delicious!  I'm going to keep going until I try them all!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/8/2010

    I can't believe I had never been here before. We had the sangria - very nice - some strange texture to the fruit but it was flavorful.
    We tried quite an assortment of tapas. We ate every bite. The plates were lovely to look at. The tastes were complex and delicious.
    Our server was great. He explained the menu and offered suggestions. He had a very full section and still seemed to provided the same level of care at every table.
    We were stuffed but the dessert offerings and port flights beckoned. We were not disappointed or regretful. I will go back to this place again and again.
    We had a gift card but the tab was reasonable for all that we ordered. Without the gift card I may be more prudent in an effort to save room for dessert.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/9/2011

    Went there last night.  Very long wait (almost 2 hours), but quite worth the wait.  We had a pitcher of sangria while waiting for our table in a cubby area by the bar.  Wonderful sangria!

    The tapas were incredibly delicious.  They had the perfect texture.   The octopus was perfectly prepared (not the easiest thing to prepare).  The lamb and the bacon-covered dates were also amazing.  The paella was great and had just the right amount of crunchiness.

    We will be returning.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/11/2012
    1 check-in

    Yummy tapas, we had an early reservation but as we were slowing down, the server came around numerous times, and me and my friends were just wondering what was up. Then it clicked as we walked outside, there was quite a long line outside. Granted we did not sit here for 2+ hours, I think we were only there for a little over an hour.

    Great tapas though, definitely enjoyed the pork, that I forgot the name of but it had a cherry sauce and it was delicious! Sangria was okay, a bit diluted to my taste but a fair warning, their potato dishes are quite large. We ordered only one but our server thought we wanted another potato dish we inquired about so we ended up with two potato tapas for 3 people.. way too much potatoes. Definitely want to put in a reservation before coming here though.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/6/2011

    We went here for my friend's 23rd birthday on a Wednesday night- 13 girls.  It was great!  The food, although small, was very filling...along with all the bread the server kept bringing...

    The sangria was delishhhh!!

    I did not expect to like this restaurant nearly as much as I did :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/22/2008

    I haven't seen my buddies from college in 5 years so when I finally got back to Chicago, we decided to eat here.  Unfortunately we didn't make reservations so we arrived around 7pm and waited 2 hours.  But, there was a Cubs game on tv, and we kept ourselves busy drinking about 5 pitchers of sangria.  

    There were 8 of us, and when we finally sat down, we did everything family style.  It was pretty funny watching everyone take a small slice of the dates, or a piece of the sirloin, but I really think this is the way to enjoy Tapas.  Have a little bit of everything, if you really like it get another dish.  To be honest, we got a lot of everything so I don't remember what we ordered (ok maybe the Sangrias have something to do with my lack of memory retention).  

    All in all, it was a good place to eat.  Try it out, if anything, the name is fun to tell your friends.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/6/2010

    Great traditional tapas place! Serving sizes were a lot bigger than expected and the food tasted great!

    It is kind of pricey so if you want to try a few things be sure to bring some friends to split the bill.

    While the tapas is great, the paella was OK. The rice was undercooked and the Seafood paella didn't include mussels.

    Their drinks are delicious and pitchers of Sangria are plenty for 4 people.

    Definitely will go back for a Flamenco show.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/13/2010
    1 check-in

    I wanted to love this place, I really did.  I heard so many great things about it!  The spicy potatoes were great!  Sangria was pretty good, rest was eh.  I guess I am comparing it to Cafe Iberico which isn't fair since I love that place so much.  The food was just average, nothing bad to say but nothing super good to say either....

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/11/2010

    My girl, BFF and I all went here last night to watch flamenco dancers and have some tapas. I haven't had tapas in a long time so it was good to have them again. We tried sooo many dishes and they were all pretty good. My faves were the chocolate tres leches, shrimp and lobster dip, spinach and cheese stuffed mushrooms and shrimp with red peppers in olive oil. They really liked the chicken empanadas, but I like the way my mom makes them so it wasn't as good to me. There's a lot of hot and cold dishes to choose from. The dancers were really good too. They were pretty entertaining. It was an awesome experience to watch dancers while we dined. We will definitely be returning here!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/12/2011

    While not the cheepest Tapas restraurant in town, most definately the largest selection of veggie, meat, and even glutten free  tapsa in town.  If you are advensuresome, just pick a veggie or meat and ask the waitress to recommend one fothe many Tapas.  You will not be steered wrong.  We had several of the specials including the cheese plate.
    All was outstanding, and the special blood orange Sangria topped the meal perfectly.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/25/2010

    I went this evening with a friend of mine around 7pm there was a line but luckily I made reservations days ago.  We were seated out in the patio with a wobbly table which the server quickly took care of it for us.  We started with the black raspberry sangria which I've fallen in love with I will never drink any other sangria again since my taste buds will be looking for that blk rasp sangria.  We ordered the following:

    Seafood Paella
    Chicken and ham croquetas
    Roast dates with bacon and apple vinaigrette
    Fried Calamari & tomato crudo, jalapeno alioli
    Spicy potato with tomato alioli

    The paella was a little too soggy for my taste but it wasnt bad either. I was really impressed with the chicken and ham croquetas esp the white sauce it came Roast dates were just ok and the calamari I had better from other places. The spicy potato didnt do much for me, it tasted like potato drenched with sazon. The bill came to about 85 dollars with tip.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/1/2010

    I'm a huge fan of the Tapas at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. It is consistently good each time I stop by.
    The sangria is definitely a little weak, but the food makes up for it.
    I would recommend the bacon wrapped dates, the goat cheese tomato dip and of course the Paella!
    Great date restaurant, but I am not a big fan of Tapas in large groups.
    Give it a try.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/23/2010

    Good tapas place in the Chicago-land area.

    Spicy potatoes and the empanadas are a-must... but you can't really go wrong with the food there.

    Also any of the sangrias there are good.

    My only complaint falls with the complimentary... I'm not sure if it's supposed to be that hard or I received stale bread.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/29/2011

    This is a great brunch place. The bloody mary bar is awesome. Also, I love the bacon mac n cheese and the goat cheese. I will be going back to this place in the near future!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/7/2009

    This place is my second favorite tapas place. It's generally crowded and a little noisy, but it fits with the vibe. The mushrooms were great, as were most of the meat dishes we tried, but I prefer the more appetizer-like dishes.

    But what I love about this place is the dessert menu. They have dessert tapas, which I think is a brilliant idea, because I can't tell you how many restaurants I've been to and been unable to choose between desserts. Not only is the concept itself great, but the desserts themselves are phenominal, from the butterscotch pudding (even my butterscotch-shunning mom loved it) to the vanilla flan with blueberries (my brother doesn't eat much sweet food, and he ordered TWO of these).

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/20/2013

    The best sangria in Chicago!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/13/2009

    I really liked Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. Honestly, I'm still thinking about all the yummy tapas I had & that deliciously sweet mango sangria. I think I've told anyone that would listen that is a must-go-to spot, so hopefully they all take me up on my advice :-)

    I came here directly after work with a friend from work, so it wasn't too crowded. We sat at the bar, but noticed a table of four where packing up their things so we rushed our cutie little fashionista butts over to their bar table. We ordered the mango sangria after chatting with a cutie waiter about many glasses a full pitcher comes out to be. 7 or 8, sounds great! We then ordered the coat cheese in tomato sauce, spicy potatoes, and beef tenderloin with blue cheese. Everything was delicious & the sweet sangria complemented everything so nicely. I have to say the beef tenderloin topped with blue cheese & homemade chips was my favorite of the evening. The tender, juicy beef topped with the perfect amount of blue cheese. I don't even like blue cheese & was hoping I'd find another piece below all of those addictive, salty homemade chips.

    I could have done without the goat cheese tapas, but my dining mate is kind of obsessed with goat cheese. Maybe if it wouldn't have been in a tomato sauce that you can purchase at a store in one of those glass jars, you know like Ragu. Ewww! Not my favorite.

    5 stars for the sangria getting me the perfectly amount giggly
    5 stars for the beef tenderloin
    3.5 stars for the other tapas
    1 star for my dining mate not telling me I had a crumb in my eyelash & seeing it much later.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/3/2009

    Went here on a tip from our hotel concierge when I asked him to send us somewhere that a local would go. I should have tipped that man before we checked out. This was the best meal we had in Chicago (and we had very excellent meals the whole trip).

    My only complaint is that the black raspberry sangria we had was a little watered down. Nonetheless, it was refreshing.

    When we first walked into this cafe, I was convinced it had to be a chain restaurant b/c it looked so polished on the inside.

    We went a little nuts with the tapas, but here are the highlights:

    - The 6 bites on a plate dish (first thing on the menu). I am still having wet dreams about the tomato jam and manchego skewer. Also, the croquette of risotto and mushroom made me fall out of my chair. The perfect bite.

    - The escargot on toast with roasted red peppers was amazing. I have never tried escargot before but it was so tender that I have definitely gotten over the fear of eating snails.

    - Bacon wrapped dates. Nuff said.

    - The spicy pork dish. Kind of a miss in my book but I was pretty full by the time it showed up. Which is saying something, because I tend to think American renditions of tapas are bullshit b/c it's an excuse to charge you a lot of money for not a lot of food. My fiancee, friend and I were quite full after leaving the Cafe. We didn't even order the delicious looking chocolate desserts we saw floating by our table.

    Here's the pretentious bit where I mention that fiancee, who spent his childhood summers in Spain, said the food here was just how he remembered it.

    Service was prompt, no complaints whatsoever. The patio was the perfect place to chill with friends on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It's no wonder this place has over 500 reviews and 4 stars. You locals have no idea how good you have it. A+ Ba-Ba-Areeba!!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/2/2010

    I have been going to this place for years, even though I don't live in the neighborhood. I think it's hands-down the best tapas in the city. The bacon-wrapped dates are fantastic, and so are the manchego-stuffed mushrooms and the little pinxtos. When you go, you must try the sangria too. I'm not usually a huge fan of sangria (too sweet), but here it is pretty much the perfect mix.

    This place is an excellent choice for a date or a night out with friends. The service is always very good and prompt. It has an especially nice ambiance in the summer, when you can sit in the outdoor courtyard.

    A tip: It's very busy on weekends, so be sure to go in with a reservation, or you'll probably be better off sitting at the bar (where you can order from the menu).

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/3/2011

    Fantastico!  I took my girlfriend here for here birthday and I was definitely impressed.  The ambiance is great, a lot of very bright and vibrant colors.  What really stood out here was the food and the service.  Our server was very prompt and friendly and every dish came out just as we would finish the previous meal.  Some standouts were the escargot and the bacon wrapped dates.  We also had some sort of steak and potatoe dish that was excellent as well.  I had booked my reservation through opentable.com and left a note that we were celebrating my girlfriend's birthday.  As the waiter brought us our check I was pleased to see him bring her a single cupcake with one candle.  It really made the night and was the perfect ending to a fun and exciting birthday meal.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/20/2013
    1 check-in

    food was great, sangria was great, our server was a bit inattentive, but we had all the time in the world - so no big deal!

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/27/2010

    CBBR is literally a few doors down and I'm there quite a bit! I used to live in Spain and the tapas here are tasty and fairly authentic. They also have a range of sangrias which are AWESOME and refreshing on a hot day. The do some things well and some things disappoint, like the gazpacho which is like watered- down salsa. Other than that, I've been pleased with pretty much everything else!

    This place is always packed so go early and go often.

    My faves: the Halibut and polenta special, tortilla espanola, patatas bravas and the beet salad. YUM!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/22/2012

    This is absolutely my favorite tapas in the city.  The atmosphere is SO incredibly fun and lively.  This is a great place for a first date, birthday party, any type of celebration or just a regular night out.  It is definitely best to come with a larger (4+ people) group so you can try all sorts of dishes.  Everything here is delicious.  Some of my favorites include the spicy potatoes, goat cheese, chicken and ham croquetas, roasted dates with bacon and skewered chicken.  The sangria is AMAZING.  I have literally had all types (classic, white peach, raspberry, passion fruit, etc), and they are all delicious.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/7/2009

    Yum, been here lots of times and never been disappointed in the food.  The restaurant is always bumping with people.  Most of the time, I have to wait for a table and its loud and crowded but I still like it.  The have really good sangria, which I dont usually say.  The service is usually pretty good.  I guess it just depends on what your looking for.  The restaurant is usually really loud.  I have liked most of the tapas that I had here...tuna, potatoes, etc.  I have never had empanadas or paella but the tapas are great.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/20/2009

    This is a great tapas place - I could devour their olives for days! They have amazing sangria's (I think I had a Peach, very nice, but a bit sweet, I've also had a strawberry, but that was awhile ago - it was awesome!).

    They have an amazing menu, and I think this is one of those perfect places for a date, if you don't mind that it can get a little loud.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/21/2012

    This place is delicious!  very good tapas, fun atmosphere and pretty good drinks.  Only issue was that with a big group they couldn't really figure out who ordered what and where so we were playing lots of musical plates.  It was a huge group and was busy enough i could empathize with the confusion but they had to have dealt with this issue before sigh...  Great food wonderful everything else Salud!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/3/2010

    I'm no tapas expert, but I've been to a few places. I like the concept, and "not being full enough" is no more an issue at tapas restaurants than it is anywhere else. I just order more tapas... duh.

    I walked in here around noon with my mom on a icy Sunday. The place only had a few scattered patrons, so I really got to see how huge it is. It has a home-y, warm feel and it smells like yummy sizzling meats. Mmmm. The service is best described as spotty-- I always had my water filled to the brim and dishes came and went very promptly, but we had some difficulty getting the attention of our actual waiter.

    We got the Pinxtos platter. It was all good, but the short rib-stuffed pepper, mushroom and rice croqueta, and goat cheese croqueta were the standouts.

    We also got the short rib with mashed potatoes, sirloin with spinach, bacon wrapped dates, and spicy potatoes. The short was incredible... it melted in your mouth and had wonderful flavors. It tasted like the pot roast that you wished your mom made. The sirloin was very good, and I was surprised at the good hunk of meat you get for $8. I was excited for the dates after reading reviews, but I wasn't as impressed. Bacon = yum, but the dates were so sugary. It tasted like candy wrapped in bacon. It was good and I see how other people love it, but I prefer more savory flavors. The potatoes were good, golden brown with just a bit of spice and come with a creamy tomato aioli for dipping.

    I'd come back and order a lot of the same things. The prices were average for a tapas place. If you go, pleaaasssee try the short rib!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/17/2013

    I usually don't like going to any restaurant more than once. I always like trying new restaurants, new flavors but I make exceptions for GREAT restaurants like Cafe Baba Reeba, so far it's the best Tapas place in Chicago. I went there twice, the only thing i hated about my second visit was the table, it wasn't in the nice lower floor area like where we were seated the first time, but I don't blame them, we didn't have reservation and it was super crowded.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/19/2010

    Delicious. Overly full. Yum. Full again.  

    This is the place to go with a huge group of people.  I was with 8 other people and really enjoyed all of the tapas that we tried.  I would recommend anything on the menu because I think we ordered everything.  

    Word to the wise: If you're with a huge group, make sure to collaborate on your orders.  I swear the food just keep coming at us.  Literally, the entire group would say "Oh my god, I'm so full" and then...more food.  "Oh my god, I'm so full" and then...more food.  I made the mistake of ordering the paella, which I don't think was worth $20 (I'd much rather order 2 tapas), and it came at the end of the meal after people had said "Oh my god, I'm so full" x2.

    Despite being overly full, I would still return (with better food-ordering judgment).  Definitely a fun place to go!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    8/18/2010

    This place is pretty darn good!  I am usually not a fan of tapas, but I am definitely a fan of Ba-Ba-Reeba.

    Sangria is A+, would do business with again.

    As is the bacon wrapped dates.

    As well as the short rib-stuffed pepper.

    I don't think there was anything on the menu that I did not like.

    My only regret is that I was not able to try the paella.  None of my friends wanted to wait for it, so clearly I need some new friends!

    The service was friendly and attentive.  They were prompt on refills and made sure we had everything we needed.

    Seriously, A++++, would do business with again.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/7/2012
    2 check-ins

    Was in the Armitage neighborhood looking for brunch place. Nookies 2 was packed so decided to try here. Decent not great but nice atmosphere for brunch. Less crowded than dinner here. The spinach and artichoke crepe was good but disappointed in the cinnamon French toast. Too hard and glazed on the outside for my taste.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/22/2009 Updated review

    I asked for parmesan for the olive oil and bread and they brought me some fresh grated.  

    I had both scallop dishes and they were great.  Also the poxntis (Peenchos) app they have now is pretty good, ordered a lot more of the piquillo short rib stuffed pepper.  The shrimp on egg salad is good too, but it's not unique.

    3.0 star rating
    9/29/2008 Previous review
    Great experience coming in the mid-afternoon on a Sunday.  The bathroom is a one-hitter and could be… Read more
  • 4.0 star rating
    12/7/2011

    An always delicious tapas style restaurant with amazing wine and a happy overall ambiance. You should grab a reservation as this place fills up super quick on the weekends

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/27/2011

    I eat here about once a month, and it's my favorite tapas restaurant in Chicago.  It seems to be busy every night of the week, so I would recommend making a reservations (especially for Friday and Saturday nights).  

    Let's start off with drinks.  The sangria is very good here.  I really like the red, but the peach is my favorite!  They have other flavors as well.  I'm sure I'll try them all someday!

    They have a very large menu, but here are my favorites:  the paella (although it takes a while to prepare, it's well worth the wait), the bacon wrapped dates (delicious!!!), the patatas bravas with an amazing dipping sauce, the goat cheese croquetas, and the gambas al ajillo.  For dessert: the butterscotch. It's awesome!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/19/2013

    Tapas and Sangrias here are top notch!  Definitely great for any occasion.  Will be back soon!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/27/2010

    I went here for a date, and honestly, I really liked it.

    Here's a tip: don't go for the paella if you've ever had an actual paella in spain. it just fails at replicating the real thing. The tapas though... wow.

    Go for the mushroom empanadas and be prepared to collectively gasp at how good they are.

    Not much else to say: really nice ambience, and good music choice. The service is good but nothing to write home about.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/14/2011
    1 check-in

    We had a nice time hear enjoying different dishes and a pitcher of sangria. One note, we did not have reservations so they told us it would be a half hour wait. We walked around the back o the bar and saw four empty tables. After asking at the bar we were told we could have dinner there. Service was very good and thanks to yelp we had a nice dessert sampler for free also.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/26/2010

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is actually a pretty solid go to brunch spot. You can always get in while the suckers wait at Nookies and the food is pretty good.  They also have a nice selection for bloody marys.  

    I have also been a couple times for dinner and have found that it is not quite worth a wait.  If you can get right in, enjoy.  If not, you should probably go down the street and find something else.  All in all, not too shabby though.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/30/2009

    My girlfriends and I had a massage and meal night yesterday and decided to eat at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba on a whim. It was rainy out, we were on cloud nine from our massages and we where hungry. We each ordered three plates and one dessert each. We had a blast catching up and before we knew it, it was after 10 and the place was getting empty. True sign of a good time and great restaurant. Meals with desserts and drinks, you can easily have a great time for about $30/pp.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/13/2009

    This is the first tapas bar I ever went to. I've been to a few others since, but I still like this place the best. There wasn't one thing that was placed in front of me that I didn't devour and love. Especially the pitchers of sangria.
    If you're going in a group, make reservations. If there are just a few of you it should be fine.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/1/2011

    Went here today for the first time for brunch with my husband.  Loved it!

    The food was amazing.  We got the cinnamon french toast, mac and cheese with bacon, and the paella with chorizo and egg.  

    This was our first real tapas experience (at least in the U.S for me since I only had it when I was in Spain on vacay).  

    The service was good.  We got seated right away and weren't rushed and the server was good about explaining how tapas work and the menu and everything.  

    The prices seemed good.  $25 for brunch for two and that was with a bloody marry.  

    Definitely will be going back to check out the dinner items!

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/16/2009

    It's good. It's fine. It's Cafe Ba Ba Reeba, who lives in Chicago and has never been here? I think it's a place where ladies who live in Lincoln Park and just had their first kid go out with "the girls" or it's a place you take your parents or extended family when they come. But I don't know of anyone who comes here just because the food is so good. It's the experience. It's loud. It's super busy and crowded. It reminds me of a theme restaurant in Disney World.

    But yeah, the food is fine. I'm not slamming it, it's just hard for me to think of it as an actual restaurant option when the only times I've been there have been for bachelorette parties, birthday parties, entertaining family, etc. and everyone else appears to be in the same boat.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/1/2011

    Yum, great service. Tapas with lots for vegetarians and vegans. Our  waiter brought us free desserts when we saiod we were full. I had some sort of chorizo wraped dates that were heavenly.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/11/2013

    I have been here 3 times in the last year and a half and it just gets better every time. The best part of course is the food, every single dish I've had there is absolutely to die for. From the bacon wrapped dates to the beef dishes to the seafood dishes to the desserts, I have not had a tapas plate I didn't enjoy. The sangria and craft cocktails are diverse and delicious. The service is impeccable, and they know how to handle large parties. To me, the atmosphere they create is what I would hope to find in an exotic Spanish city, full of life, laughter, and great food. I feel the price is very reasonable when you consider the quality of the food, service, and atmosphere you experience there. And on top of all of this, they have $1 and $3 tapas dishes and 1/2 priced craft cocktails for Monday happy hour. Not to mention their special events, including wine and beer tastings, live performances, and live music. My favorite restaurant in Chicago, bar none. I can't wait to try their brunch!

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/15/2010

    I really don't think that anything is truly spectacular about this place. Perhaps I need to go back during the week when maybe its not absolutely packed with people to enjoy it....or with a larger group to enjoy myself. If you go with just one other person, you get shafted in terms of tables. We sat in this dark cove to which the waiter had to talk to us over the wall because it was such an awkward seating.

    The food is good. Nothing that wow'd me . The order that they decided to send out our plates was kind of annoying. We got our big plate of spicy potatoes last. It would have been nice to get those out of the way before the meat (or with the meat).

    I love the sangria. If I didn't have ample sangria flowing through me, I would have been even more annoyed by the fact that our waiter didn't come back until we flagged him down for the check.

    Besides the sangria, I like the prices here. Its not ridiculously overpriced like other tapas places in the city (which give you even less food).

    So I will go back to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, but with a group the next time. Perhaps they will seat us on time and not 15 minutes after our reservation.

  • 1.0 star rating
    12/6/2009

    Two syllables: E-yew. Ew.

    I read mixed reviews.  I gave Ba-Ba-Reeba the benefit of the doubt when I should've heeded my fellow yelpers words of advice.

    The Ugly:
    The seafood paella was fishy tasting in a bad way.  Have you ever had a bad shrimp?  I mean, a stay-in-time-out or-10-minutes-because-it's=been-so-bad shrimp? I put a shrimp in my mouth, chewed a little, swallowed a little, popped out my eyes a little, gagged a little, and spit the thing into my napkin.  I wanted to cry because I thought I was going to die the next day due to shrimp poisoning.  Then I remembered that my friend ate raw oysters wrapped in raw bacon and survived.  Still, it was guh-ross!

    The Bad:
    The chicken empanada was a tasteless pastry of mush.  The calamari was not that flavorful.

    The Good:
    The baked goat cheese and the steak dishes were savory and yummy.  The sirloin wasn't greasy and it was very tender.  The goat cheese was warm and flavorful served with small, tasty pieces of bread.  

    Overall, I do not recommend this place.  I don't know why the place was so packed.  Maybe we had a really bad night, but I am not coming back to find out.  Give me Cafe Iberico over Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba any day!  

    5 stars for the bread on the table + 5 stars for the goat cheese - 5 stars for the empanada - 10 stars for the scary bad shrimp experience = 1 star

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/20/2009

    This place was so much fun.  It's great for a big group, very spacious.  THe food was very tasty, everything we order, and I think we must have pretty much ordered everything on the menu, was absolutely delicious.  We also had the paella, it was really good.  
    THe only thing lacking was alcohol in the sangria.  They have about 6-7 different sangrias, all good, but a little weak.
    Overall though, we had a good time, and it was really good food.

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/4/2011
    1 check-in

    I found this to be a pretty good tapas restaurant.  I came with a group of 8 and we were able to get seated in about a half an hour.  The sangria pitchers are pretty tasty, but not overly strong (good or bad depending on your agenda).  I didn't really think any of the tapas were super good, except for the bacon wrapped dates (ordered two of these!) and some times I felt that the waiters were a little annoyed when they wanted to bring you a new dish, but you weren't finished with your previous one.  It felt much more rushed than a tapas style experience should be.  It was really cool that they had the free pintxos platters for yelper check ins though!  I'll definitely come back as several friends really enjoy this place and the tapas menu does have quite a variety!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/23/2011

    Always a great place for some Spanish Tapas!! The Paella always fantastic, the house Sangria always a hit, patatas bravas = mmmmm!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/17/2011

    All I can say is yummmm....I loved this place.  The food was delicious and the flavored sangria was great! They have so many options and it's not too expensive.  This is the perfect first date place in my opinion.  The only thing I didn't like was that they don't bring everything at once. So you fill up on one thing before even trying the next.  They should also have bigger tables for all the plates!  Maybe I ordered too much. But definitely worth it! Loooove it!

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/23/2010

    I'm sorry, what??  Was that supposed to be Spanish?  

    If you're looking for starter Spanish, as in dishes that haven't been horribly Americanized, this is your place.  Not to mention that they're priced a little higher than they should be considering the mediocre quality.  If you're looking for authentic Spanish food that's properly priced, I'd suggest Cafe Iberico or Emilios.  I'm pretty sure I never ate anything in Spain that had Ruffles potato chips with it, but thanks for playing.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/30/2010

    Festive and vibrant, Ba-Ba-Reeba serves some tasty tapas and sangria. I ordered the Rioja short rib, Maine scallops with couscous and pine nuts, and Roasted spinach and mushrooms. The short rib was extremely tender and had a delicious au jus with a splash of rioja flavor. Three scallops was a generous portion size but the quality and flavor were a little lacking. Finally, and unfortunately at the bottom, the spinach had a nice texture but was way over salted which left it almost inedible.

    The cava sangria and peach sorbet were a great addition to this meal. I would go back if I were in that neighborhood.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/22/2011

    Went there yesterday to celebrate our anniversary something casual. First time here and we were in-press with our waitress and the service. We had the Spanish cheeses, pixtos platter and the ham tapas and a pitch of sangria to start. My favorite tapas was the cheeses hands down good :). We also had the seafood paella which it was good but not something i would order again. Next time we will stick to tapas only.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/26/2010

    MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN CHICAGO. I wish every weekend was my birthday so people would take me here. The service is great. I've sat at the tables and at the bar and had a great experience every time.

    This is a wonderful place to go if you're vegetarian. Maybe not so great for vegans, as my favorite dishes contain cheese or cream, but if you eat dairy then you must (!!!) have some of the Spicy Potatoes. Their gazpacho is wonderful and the Fried Green Peppers are so tasty. Had the red Sangria for the first time last month. A very generous portion for a reasonable price. And can we talk for just a second about the dessert tapas? Heaven!

    The restaurant has a great feel to it and I've always had fun. It's a Chicago gem.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/20/2011
    1 check-in

    Sat at the bar with friends, ordered tons of small plates and did not have a bite i did not like.  Bacon wrapped dates was the star for sure.  Pitchers of raspberry Sangria. Super friendly staff.  I cannot do this place justice.  You just have to try.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/15/2011

    I like Cafe-Ba-Ba-Reeba, but I am not in love with it.  I think that the Sangria is really great and it is fun to share the pitchers.  I have been here a few times and my best experience was when it was super crowded, but a spot at the bar cleared, so my boyfriend and I sat there and ate.  I like the decor because it is warm and the meat hanging from the ceiling add to the ambiance. I really like the goat cheese in tomato sauce, but it is something that my boyfriend can make at home.. which he did and it was better then the restaurants.  I feel like a lot of stuff on the menu, my boyfriend can make, and so if I go there its because I want the experience not necessarily the food.  I  do think the atmosphere is fun and on some nights there are flamenco dancers that are entertaining.  I will go back here because for whatever reason I do like it, but like I said, I don't love it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/15/2011

    I have been to Baba Reeba many, many times over my 8 years living in Chicago.  They have always delivered.  My last experience was terrible...service, food, we didn't even get some of the dishes we ordered, yet were charged for them.  This time was TOTALLY different.  The food was uh-may-zing.  service was absolutely spot on!  they have changed up the menu and let me tell you it is for the best!  Please try the rainbow chard!  divine!  the shrimp in garlic and olive oil never disappoints, bacon wrapped dates (duh), chicken empanada, pintxos platter, scallops, paella (the best my friend says he has EVER had), fried green peppers, cava sangria to wash it all down, I could go on!  they have a pajama brunch on New Year's day...check it out!  you will NOT be disappointed!

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/15/2009
    Listed in My Neighborhood

    Ayight -- I'm probably going to make some people not so happy but Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba? More like Cafe-Ba-Ba-Give-You-The-Wrong-Check-And-Don't-­Check-In-On-You-Once-a.

    I'll start with the great! The Black Raspberry Sangria pitcher? Heck yes. Granted I probably could have drank the entire pitcher on my own, but I shared.  The Spicy Potatoes were awesome too - and not spicy since the sauce they came with was delish.

    There should have been a warning on the Meatballs and Shrimp with garlic, olive oil that you would probably start to sweat once you consumed. Albeit, I am a wimp with spice - but no warning.

    So - will I go again to eat? Probably not, the service was pretty bad BUT the sangria was delish

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/7/2012

    The staff is GREAT! The restaurant is pretty nice inside, but the tables are too close. The couple in the table next to ours could hear our convo( they made awkward pauses and seemed to be listening) and we could hear theirs. Now,that's not a bad thing if you're in a place where it's totally fine to talk to everyone around you(I'm used to this), but in the US, it's not common practice....which makes it wierd. The food is OKAY....I've tasted way better Spanish food, but it's good enough.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/16/2009

    We went here for the first time last night and both left happy.  We ordered a lot of stuff.  Some food was meh, other things were really delicious.  They didn't do a very good job of pacing our meal and hot things end up being luke warm by the time we got to it.

    -Pintxos platter...a really great way to try a bunch of different things our favorites were the goat cheese croquette, shrimp and egg salad, and the cheese and quince
    -the Spanish Caesar salad was awesome...i want to eat it everyday
    -ahi and shaved veg. salad was also good but...yea Spanish Caesar
    -spicy pork skewer was drenched in chili oil.  i could have done without
    -sirloin w/ asparagus and shitake was pretty good...not hot enough
    -braised lamb was fantastic
    -scallops were delicious and cooked perfectly

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/5/2012

    We went on a Sat night. We had reservations very late so we decided to sit by the bar area. The service is spectacular, our waitress was fabulous! The food was just out of this world. We started with cheese plate, grilled octopus, meat plate and a whole order of Blood Sausage. All was so perfectly cooked and displayed!!!! ah loved every bite of it. Then we ordered a seafood Paella, it was so flavorful and delicious! I had many great Paellas in my life, spoiled growing up by the mediterranean sea. But this one is the best you can get away from any coastal area!!!! The best part was it was all priced so well....Don't forget to order a pitcher of red sangria! it was amazing!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/16/2012

    This meal was one of the best I've ever had. I went in a little hesitant about trying Tapas but to my surprise it was a great meal! Everything had so much flavor and it all tasted so fresh. I loved everything I tasted. Our waiter was really attentive and our food came out two plates at a time which was a perfect pace. I live right by this place so I will definitely be back for more!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/31/2011

    This is my favorite tapas restaurant. The food, ambience, and customer service were all excellent. I love this place. WIN!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/6/2010

    My only complaint: Too many tables in too small of a space.

    Everything else was absolutely superb.

  • 2.0 star rating
    10/28/2009

    I had a good experience here a couple of years ago, so was happy to return for tapas with a friend the other day.  The place was pretty crowded for a Monday night, which surprised me, but we were seated right away at a small table for two.  Upon being seated, the table already seemed crowded with a stack of small plates, salt & pepper, cutlery, etc.

    Our waiter was very nice, but seemed a bit overwhelmed; he stopped by to suggest the specials and ran away just as I opened my mouth to ask for a half pitcher of Sangria.  A few minutes later, my friend and I had already decided which tapas we wanted; the waiter returned and we made our full order.  

    The half pitcher came first.  It was the perfect size for two diners, and was perfectly decent sangria.  The tapas followed soon thereafter, and came at a staggered rate so that we were able to complete a dish or two before the last of our order arrived.  With just 2 of our selections on the table, however, it was overcrowded.  By the time our last dish arrived, it had to be balanced on top of the clean small plates.  This was a crowded table and made for awkward dining!

    I also want to mention that we were given an extra dish of tapas that we had not ordered, and were charged for that dish on our final bill.  The problem was quickly resolved by our waiter.

    Now, for the tapas themselves; I was not impressed.  The spicy potatoes were flavorless and served with a bright orange flavorless sauce.  The ahi tuna was overspiced with spices that would be more appropriate on beef, served on a salad drowned in oil and vinegar.  The goat cheese was fine, but I've had better at the Medici on 57th.  The endive salad and the calamari were yummy, but I wouldn't return just for these two dishes when the rest of the menu isn't on their level.  

    Based on my past experience here and the good reviews on Yelp, I expected better.  Better dining accommodations (small tables don't work in a tapas place), better wait service (maybe adding staff so that mistakes and neglect such as I listed above don't happen), and better food (flavorless tapas?  I'd rather stop by a Vienna Beef hotdog stand and get some bang for my buck).  

    I'm giving 2 stars because I'm willing to give this place one more chance; it could have been an off night in the kitchen and our waiter could have been covering for folks who stayed home sick.  The table size issue is something to really be concerned about, however; if you go, ask the hostess to seat you at a larger table.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/18/2009

    I guess I'm just gilding the lily by now since Ba-Ba-Reeba has been picked apart and examined more than just about any place in Chicago. Ergo, let's give it a quick, bulleted run down:

    1. Great for big parties. Used Open Table to make reservations and things went down without a hitch.

    2. The stairway leading to the downstairs facilities is ridiculously narrow. Don your European sense of space and casual attitudes regarding inadvertent groping and you'll go far.

    3. Pinxtos are really small. If you have a big group order at least two servings of all six.

    4. If you think sangria is just for the effeminate then check this knowledge nugget: Sangria means "bloody" in Spanish. See? A drink fit for the most testosteronic.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/24/2009

    Even though I try to keep away from places that are remotely a chain restaurant, I have to admit that I did like this place and have eaten here twice over the past year.

    First bonus point, there is tons of seating and it's always full which translates to happy customers. Make a reservation and is a great place for large groups or for a mixed group of food people.

    The tapas were good, not knock your socks off, but good. I'm a particular fan of the garlic potato salad, the cheese plate and the beef with caramelized onions. My last time there I ordered the paella and had to give it big thumbs down...my first time having paella was in Valencia, so I'm likely really over-spoiled in this instance. The rice was mushy and it was extremely oily.

    Stick with the tapas and the Sangria and you'll have yourself a nice evening!

  • 2.0 star rating
    2/3/2010

    Ew....What happened to this place?!?!?!  I've been coming here for years and had to stop for awhile because it was so nasty!!!! The food was coming within 3 minutes of ordering, it was not at all fresh and nothing tasted the same. I know it's really popular, but I still like to think my food is cooked to order, not ready to go like McDonald's.

    Then we were invited to a birthday party here and actually enjoyed the food again. So, we came not too long ago and ordered about 8 or 9 tapas for 2 of us. Besides the garlic potato salad, everything was BAD. Really bad. I'm done. A former life-long supporter- never again.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/18/2009

    There are about a zillion reviews, which shows that they're popular. I really don't think too many people will read this review unless I write "SEX!!!" at the top a few times, but I don't need to be an attention whore.
    BBR (which sounds like PBR but is so much classier it hurts) is freaking amazing. The atmosphere can be a little crowded and cheesy, but it's very colorful and a fun place to go with groups. I've always thought the service here was above-average. Waiters know how to be friendly and helpful but not over-the-top stalkers. But onto THE FOOD...
    Shortribs with manchego mashed potatoes: YES. The shortribs come with a delicious sauce. Very rich, and very tender.
    Patatas bravas: If these potato pieces aren't fried, then I am very surprised, because they were very crunchy. They are spicy, though, and not just coated in a wimpy sauce. As Jacob F pointed out to me, the aioli is fantastic, too.
    Bacon-wrapped dates: I don't really like sweet and savory together, but I got over it and ate these puppies. I'm glad I did, because they have a perfect blend of sweetness and smokiness.
    Scallops: Fantastic...very fresh and nicely charred (but not too much).
    I don't remember too many of the other dishes, because the above were such highlights! :) A bit pricey, but not too bad, and a great place to go in a group (kind of loud for dates)! Highly recommended.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • Start your review of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!.

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    • Eek! Methinks not.
    • Meh. I've experienced better.
    • A-OK.
    • Yay! I'm a fan.
    • Woohoo! As good as it gets!

    Select your rating.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/27/2010

    This is another standby restaurant. The menu never seems to change much but always good options. I recently went here for brunch for the first time and that was delicious as well. However please note that the brunch dishes are LARGE servings compared to most of their dinner/lunch tapas.

    I think it's always good to make reservations here.
    And if you want to enjoy the patio try to be there when it is not super crowded. It's a perfect summer evening atmosphere then and a great place to dine with good friends over many plates & sangria.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/26/2012

    A mainstay for me when I am in Chicago! Love the sangrias. Food does not disappoint. The wait is worth it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/18/2010

    Out with the girls tonight, we decided to go and have some tapas. We started off with goat cheese & tomato sause, spinach & manchego stuffed mushrooms, pulpo a la plancha and many more...(but these are my favorites).

    Service was friendly.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/3/2009

    Probably my favorite tapas restaurant, i've been there numerous times and always in big groups, everyone seems happy with the food and the service.  I would definitely recommend it those trying Tapas for the first time.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/1/2009

    As a visitor to Chicago, I really enjoyed my tour of Lincoln Park - ending with a tasty meal at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  We were initially concerned when we heard it would be an hour and a half wait for a table, but we were quickly seated five minutes later in the patio.  Despite the cold weather outside the patio stayed relatively warm, but got colder as the room emptied.

    We ate:
    pork belly pinxtos - my favorite part of the meal, salty and crispy
    warm potato & onion omelette - this is like a potato cake, thinly layered
    beef tenderloin medallions - these were surprisingly delicious with blue cheese
    grilled squid - my second favorite, the tentacles are the best part
    lobster paella - the very generous portions came with 3 lobster tail halves per person, plan to order this first and early (it takes 30 minutes)
    flan - a bit too firm in the middle in my opinion
    cherry bread pudding - not too sweet and perfect with ice cream
    passionfruit and mango sangria - I agree with other reviewers that the sangria is on the weak side, but refreshing

    The food was delicious and the ambiance was fun - I'd definitely come back the next time I'm in Chicago.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/7/2012

    When I showed up I gave them my name from my reservation, and was told to go have a seat at the bar, and 2 steps later, they said they could seat us right now, I was like bonus. Great server, Maximillion.. Food was good. Fresh tuna, stuffed mushroms were awesome, Bacon an dates.... YUMMMMMMY. I had the sangria, very refreshing and light. I wasnt too happy with the ice in the pitcher, because that would water it down. I left full but not feeling bad. It was packed on a saturday night, so you might want to make a reservation. I think it was awesome for 2 or 4 but any more then that i wouldnt like it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/5/2010

    This is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago...and to be honest  I am not the sharing type. I have been here 30+ times and I love the  fluttering yuppie vibe, the outdoor patio (in the summer) and I especially appreciate the food. My menu favorites include the patatas brava with alioli sauce,  the stuffed mushroom caps and the baked goat cheese. I am a vegetarian, so this is about all I can eat from the menu... yet I dream of these potatoes. I have, on occasion, even ordered an extra carry out of potatoes before leaving!

    After a few visits, I have become very selfish and I usually inform my friends that the potatoes are mine...mine...MINE aka not for sharing...and only for ME! It works pretty well...even though it goes against the concept.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/30/2009 Updated review

    Newish menu.
    We got the citrus cured salmon
    Yuck! The salmon was served flavorless on cucumber toast (also flavorless) with sour cream .. icky..
    We also got the seared Tuna
    FAB-O so yummy a huge contrast from the other dish!!!
    Stuffed Mushroom caps
    Also excellent! Manchego cheese and Spinach! love!!!!!!

    The usuals were great as usual!
    Potatoes and calamari.

    New menu 2 thumbs up

    4.0 star rating
    10/5/2008 Previous review
    Another great experience at Baba Reeba! 5 people ate till we were stuffed and drank 2 pitchers or… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    3/13/2013

    My friends and I LOVE Cafe BaBaReeba! It is our favorite place to meet up. The food is not too expensive. The sangria is amazing and the atmosphere is perfect to meet up with friends. It's the perfect mix of being a lively place and having your own space. I would recommend making reservations for the weekends but even when we have come without ones they are pretty accommodating with the bar seating. The staff has always been very friendly and attentive without being overly attentive- which can happen at a tapas restaurant. Great place!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/13/2013

    One of the best places I have ever eaten. Beautiful restaurant and wonderful staff.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/18/2011

    We went on a busy Saturday night without a reservation.  The wait for a table for four was 45 minutes to an hour...OR we could seat ourselves in the bar area, which happened to have a table for four available.  We were seated immediately and the bar staff was very helpful and knowledgeable about all of the tapas choices.  The Sangria was pretty good.  Of the dishes we tried, my favorites were the Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Alioli, Roast Dates with Bacon and Apple Vinaigrette, and the Serrano Ham, Salchichon, Chorizo & Manchego. Typing this is making me hungry!  I would definitely recommend getting a reservation.  If it's just two of you and you don't mind sitting or standing in the bar area, you might be ok without one, but otherwise, you should at least try to get a reservation the same day if possible.

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/7/2012

    Ridiculous wait for sub par food. It has been a few years since I have been here but the wait is not worth it.  They announce for tables like you are at an Applebees in the burbs. Once seated we had to ask to change seats due to a terrible smokey smell but it turned out all they had to do was shut the flue in the oven. Our waitor was the best part of the night.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/10/2009
    2 check-ins

    My first experience with Tapas. Love it! And inexpensive too ($3 tapas!!). Stopped by after school one day since it was around the corner. Haven't had a full meal there, but I will one day. (I came in around 4pm and I think all they had was Tapas)

    Update!
    Alright so I went by for dinner the other day and I definitely still dig Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/9/2013

    I still love this place. I first went there in 1999. I have been there through out the years and still enjoy myself.

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/7/2009

    We made plans to eat dinner hear after I read great reviews.  I was SOOO disappointed.  

    We were seated in a small room off the bar that did not have good ambiance.  However, the service was excellent.  Our waited suggested a great bottle of wine that was economical and I loved (Rivola Temp/Cab sardon del duero 2004 $36)

    We went during Orange Festival and started off with  an orange amouse bouche (which was not an amouse bouche, I might add -- it was a whole plate of food).  It was oranges, beets, goat cheese, quince, and marcona almonds.  The beets were grated which gave the dish a very strange texture.  

    For the tapas we had the Pintxos platter; Citrus-cured salmon with cucumber toast; Endive & blue cheese salad with walnuts, quince; Skirt steak herb butter, shallots, scallions.  Out of all of them the only one I liked was the skirt steak.  The salmon was really watery and it didn't seem like the temperature was right on any of the dishes.  I also discovered I don't like quince (at least the way they served it) and will avoid it in the future.

    For the money, there are MUCH better tapas restaurants around.  At least we had good wine!

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/4/2012

    Been to this popular tapas joint on several different occasions.  The ambiance is wonderful and the service has always been great.  My only issue is that I have never been wowed by any of the small plates I have ordered!  They are good, don't get me wrong.  Just no wow factor for me. Their Sangria is amazing though!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/2/2009

    I love this place!

    The Passion Fruit Sangria is the best! It taste like juice but beware, a couple of glasses and your about ready to start dancing to Spanish music playing in the background. =)

    The spicy potatoes, and the blue cheese steak... yum!

    It's to die for...

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/12/2008

    I love this place. I love any excuse to go here. My favorite part? The sangria. My favorite place to sit? One of the 3 tables by the window/bar area. I haven't eaten anything that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. And what's nice is if each person at the table orders one tapas dish, you all share a pitcher of sangria that could possibly be all you really need. There are times when you might decide to order an extra dish or so but they give you tons of bread and olive oil you can really get away with just ordering one tapas dish each. This is definately a place you don't want to go to by yourself. Unless you sit at the bar and drink the sangria. Mmm...
    Minus one star because its so loud, but that's not really anything that can be helped when people are drinking pitchers of sangria.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/19/2012

    I have only been to a handful of tapas restaurants but this place is so good.  We have eaten there many times and never had a problem.  You will not be disappointed.  The Sangria is delicious.  Before I went vegetarian, I loved the beef medallions with goat cheese.  The dessert flights are amazing too along with the flan!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/12/2009

    I walked past Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba a few times and it was always packed with people. It's intimidating for some reason. I have never tried Spanish-inspired cuisine or tapas. I told myself, "Self, you have to come again with a friend."

    A few months later, I met up with a couple of friends for dinner. I walked in through the hallway and I instantly fell in love with the atmosphere. Big legs of serrano ham hang from the ceiling next to the bar and the open kitchen. It's a pretty amazing sight. Then we had the sangria, paella and a couple of tapas. The waitress must have told the manager we are new to this place because he came up to us and introduced himself. Oh, and by the way, he brought us three kinds of desserts ON THE HOUSE. Ahh, lovely.

    But that was months ago. I have became a regular at Ba-Ba-Reeba ever since. This is pretty much my hang out place and it was the place that I went for my third date.I mean, it's a no brainer. They have a ton of selection to choose from and excellent sangria. I particularly love their grilled skirt steak, grilled calamari and paella.

    Service however is so-so. It sorta went downhill after my first visit. It wasn't bad but it wasn't too good either. Grouchy servers definitely don't go well with tapas. Regardless, it is still a good place to go to enjoy the night.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/30/2009

    Went here on Sat for a bachelorette party and the food was wonderful!  We had a group of 8 and tried about half the menu along with some red sangria and everything was delicious, but here are my favorites:
    -spicy potatoes with tomato aioli
    - goat cheese/tomato sauce with crusty bread
    - fried calamari
    - bacon-wrapped dates
    - tortilla espanola
    - chicken empanada

    I know these are tapas staples everywhere and are hard to mess up, but they were especially tasty here--I will definitely be back, as I am still salivating over those bacon dates-mmmmm!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/16/2011

    This seems to be THE first date place in Chicago. Excellent people watching. Keep that in mind next time you're debating sitting at the bar. It's a fun restaurant, and always filled with groups, couples, etc. I've been a few times for drinks and a bit of food, (mostly drinks) and there is always, always a ridiculous wait. It's generally just me and a friend or two, so we like to stick to the bar. If you can snag a seat, the service is fast, and for whatever reason, you can hear your companions much better at the bar. The food is great, a typical tapas menu, but nice sized and good quality. The sangria, is dangerous. I've had some wicked hangovers after splitting a pitcher (or two) of the red sangria with friends. I recommend it for a lively atmosphere, just dont expect to get seated immediately. Won't happen.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/25/2012

    Hands-down, my favorite place for tapas. There are very few things I've ordered and didn't like, and I always find the waiters to be very knowledgeable about the menu and able to make great recommendations. It's hard to start a list of my favorite things here but it's always fun to start out with the pintxos platter. When I start ordering tapas, I almost always include the spicy potatoes, the goat cheese in tomato sauce, and the meatballs with sherry tomato sauce. A pitcher of sangria is a must and seating on the patio is lovely in the summer.

    Whenever I have friends looking to try out tapas, this is the place that I send them without a doubt.

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    3.0 star rating
    11/24/2009

    Even though I try to keep away from places that are remotely a chain restaurant, I have to admit that I did like this place and have eaten here twice over the past year.

    First bonus point, there is tons of seating and it's always full which translates to happy customers. Make a reservation and is a great place for large groups or for a mixed group of food people.

    The tapas were good, not knock your socks off, but good. I'm a particular fan of the garlic potato salad, the cheese plate and the beef with caramelized onions. My last time there I ordered the paella and had to give it big thumbs down...my first time having paella was in Valencia, so I'm likely really over-spoiled in this instance. The rice was mushy and it was extremely oily.

    Stick with the tapas and the Sangria and you'll have yourself a nice evening!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/30/2011
    2 check-ins

    I am in love with this place. The tapas are very reasonably priced. I called in for a reservation a month in advance and they were booked. So if you have an event, plan way, way ahead. Everything I've tried has been great. The bacon wrapped dates are surprisingly good. Sangrias are absolutely amazing. Get the potatoes! Great place for a group, parking sucks though.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/23/2009

    The food was very good, the service was fantastic!!!

    We had a large party and got seated immediately. The server came over and asked if we had been to a tapas bar before and if we had been to Cafe BaBaReeba. None of us had been to BaBaReeba and a few of us had never had tapas before and we got a great schpiel on what tapas was and how to enjoy it. The server went through the menu section by section and gave us recommendations and seemed genuinely excited about the food there. Food came promptly and in waves so we were never overwhelmed or waiting around.

    We got a pretty large variety of dishes but some standouts include:

    Citrus-cured Salmon - it comes with toast that has a cold cucumber puree on it - very refreshing and light
    Potatoes Bravas - my favorite tapas dish and they do it really well with generous portions
    Scallops - so flavorful and prepared perfectly! I think I'm salivating just thinking about it...

    The best tapas I've had either ever or in a very very long time!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/19/2013
    1 check-in

    Definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago... nearly 1400 reviews can't be wrong.  Favorites are the spicy potatoes, goat cheese and bacon wrapped dates.  Service is always great as well.  Love this place!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/14/2008

    Go here.

    Get : Cava Sangria, Tomato Bisque soup, chicken empanada, stuffed mushrooms and the bacon wrapped dates... amazing.

    Enjoy a beautiful day on their patio.

    Go shopping on Halsted afterwards with a full and happy tummy!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/22/2009

    The food here is soo good!  Boyfriend took me here and we got a seat out in the covered patio.  Though it was somewhat winter-like weather, there was a heater for the patio area and it felt warmer than inside!

    We ordered:
    -Baked Goat Cheese
    -Crispy Spicy Potatoes
    -Grilled Squid
    -Shrimp al ajillo
    -Seared ahi tuna salad

    All were sooo good and we were stuffed by the end of the meal.  We also ordered a pitcher of the Black Raspberry Sangria, which was on the weak side as far as alcohol goes, but still ok.  

    Stuffed from the meal, we decided to split the Butterscotch Flan for dessert.  It was perfect.  It was served in a small shot glass and I was tempted to order another, but resisted the urge to do so.  It was yummy, creamy, and full of butterscotch/caramel flavor.  Boyfriend likened it to the taste of a Werther's Original caramel candy drop, but the creamy, flan version.  The Butterscotch Flan was definitely noteworthy, but maybe they could have served a slightly bigger portion?  (...because I liked it so much!!! =P )

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/2/2009

    Sangrias Sangrias Sangrias...

    Cafe Ba Ba Reeba has outstanding Sangrias, and they are oustanding to wash down your tapas!  They also have an extensive selection of tapas dishes...and the octopus is still my favorite!

    Simply a good time.  And during the warmer months...sit in their outside patio...it's worth it!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/26/2011

    Great atmosphere, great food, and surprisingly inexpensive!

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/16/2008

    I'm not as enthralled with the Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba experience and most others.  The food is always solid, particularly the patatas bravas and the large variety of sangria.  However, the crowded atmosphere almost ruins it for me.  

    I make a reservation for dinner every time, and no matter what my party size, I still end up waiting 10 - 30 minutes near the hostess stand, sandwiched against 40 others.  I don't like my dining experiences to begin like rush hour on the L.  

    The seating area isn't much better.  Tables are practically on top of one another, and it is extremely loud.  Invest in better acoustics please!

    For these reasons, I will continue to visit Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba when my friends want to go there, but I will never be the person to suggest this restaurant.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/3/2010

    The food? Hit and miss...but, we enjoyed ourselves and had a nice time.
    I also tagged the restaurant: Great for Outdoor Dining

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/5/2013

    Casual. Street  parking: feed meters. Good margaritas. Vegetarian options. It was our first time there so we wanted to do strictly tapas vs. Paella.  The menu is clear and easy to navigate once the waiter explains. A menu is kept table Side so you can continue to order throughout. I'd start with ordering all the pintxos, and anything else you can order as a collective sample.  Good way to get started.  Beef with blue cheese and anything with dates were stand out items. I'd return again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/21/2009

    This place is loud, crowded and fun. The tapas are delicious (don't pass up the bacon wrapped dates) and the drinks are great (especially the sangria). The waitstaff is helpful and entertaining. I really enjoyed my night out here. The only negative was the long wait for the food, but that can be forgiven.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/18/2009

    I went here for a date and must say that the restaurant was quite busy.

    The food was delicious, and of course the tapas were tapa sized.  But me and my date ordered enough to fill us up.

    The nice thing about this restaurant was the atmosphere, my date was around 8pm and the lights were dimmed perfectly and the seats were spaced nicely that I wasn't bothered but others conversation.  The place is cozy in a sense, even with all the hustle and bustle.

    It is a busy restaurant so be prepared to wait if you did not have a reservation.  

    I enjoyed the place all in all, the bacon wrapped dates were delicious.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/12/2010

    Love, love, love this place. Only downsides are the parking (valet if possible, especially in winter!) and how crowded it gets (definitely make early reservations as this place gets packed, especially for larger groups). I love the Patatas Bravas (spicy potatoes), the calamari, empanadas, and the garlic potato salad. So good!!

    **WARNING**
    If you want to be "adventurous" and try something new and fun, stay away from the Goat Cheese Croqueta Pinxtos- sooo gross, well unless you like goat cheese. It's like sour, warm, nastiness inside of a mozzarella cheesestick-like outside, that's ball shaped. YUCK!!

    It has a nice "feel" to it. Perfect for date nights or nights out with the girls. It's not necessarily kid friendly as it's mostly geared to the adult crowd, but I have seen families dining there.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/25/2009

    A great place if you are into Tapas. We were able to sit on the outside porch, perfect for a sunny day in the summer.

    Be sure to try the Pinxtos to get a good feel of all that Cafe Ba Ba Reeba has to offer. The artisanal spanish cheese & quince is one of the best things I have ever tasted!

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/2/2009

    I only really discovered this "tapas" thing when I moved to Chicago three years ago. I enjoy the concept because it reminded me of dim sum and the amazing selection of food you can get.

    Cafe BBR was the first tapas experience and I enjoyed it. The food is fairly good but after visiting with other restaurants in the city, I'm rating this 3 stars.  Location is great and the ambiance is fun and light hearted. Service is good an fairly inexpensive.  My last visit was with a group of 12 - all whom had travelled in for my wedding from Canada or asia - so I picked up the tab.  We ordered about 25 dishes and the final bill inclusive of many pitchers of Sangria, taxes and tip was about $430.00 - fairly reasonable for the amount of food (about $35pp).

    Much more impressive though I think is Emilio's in the loop on Ohio.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/19/2009

    Went here for my 30th bday in October. My group of 5 was seated near our reservation time. Happy about that! We were amazed with the menu: very well organized with large breadth of options for everyone's tastes.
    I loved the restaurant itself. Very quaint, with seperate dining areas, like an old house. Very cool.
    The service was spotty. The waiter seemed to think serving us was annoying to him. Hello it is your job.
    I had an outstanding sampler of desserts for my birthday! Excellent finish to all of the tapas we tried. I would definitely go back, if only the service improves... a next visit will tell.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 3.0 star rating
    9/18/2011

    My gf took me here for my birthday.  Everything we order was good but not great.  Probably ordered 10 plates and not one item stood out.  Kinda of surprised since the ratings were so good.  Probably would not come back.

  • 2.0 star rating
    12/29/2012

    Boo! made a reservation here only cuz cafe iberico( 12/24)was closed. The shrimp was under cooked and everything else was just meh. It's like mall food think p f chengs(spelling?) but tapas. No bueno. Not for foodies!

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/28/2011

    This spanish style tapas restaurant is amazing! Phenomenal food fusions mixing spanish with greek, and italian. The menu selection isn't huge but it's enough to satisfy every taste bud!! Did I mention their large drink menu? And their home made Sangria, which come in a varitiey of flavors are great to get with anything off the menu. Oh anc did I also mention they came in pitchers?! I can't get enough of of the peach!  I love to going with a big group of friends and order one of everything on the menu and we basically invent our own buffet! It's so much fun! I highly recomend you try!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/4/2009
    Listed in Latin Gems

    Holy Crowdedness! You'd think this restaurant was the only one serving food in the city. We made our reservations for 9pm and the wait was still a good 30 minutes!

    I have been to Ba Ba Reeba a few times before and it was good, but not as authentic as I would have liked. Personally, I vote Cafe Iberico as most authentic. Some of the dishes at BBR had a Spanish influence, while others did not (ie. beef medallions with potato chips?? sounds more American to me). As a whole, I guess I just didn't think it was all that special. But don't listen to me, because apparently I'm the only one who feels that way as there are mobs of people waiting to eat here...

    However, after dining at Ba Ba Reeba for a third time last night, I have come to agree with the masses... BBR certainly does have some tasty dishes! Maybe I was ordering all the wrong things before, because this time around I was impressed. I've never had braised lamb in Spain (and maybe I'm just not classy enough to eat at a place serving lamb), but that braised lamb sure was delish!

    Stuffed Mushrooms, YUM.
    Fried Green Peppers, YUM YUM.
    Bacon Wrapped Dates, YUM YUM YUM!

    My advice to anyone considering BBR for dinner:
    Dine Early, Dine Late, Alternate (Cafe Iberico).

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/30/2008

    Service - Selection - Price - Ambiance!!!

    How could you not like this place?

    I have gone twice within the last couple weeks, once with a group of five and the other with just a girlfriend. Although the time I went as a group, I had even MORE fun with just a table for two. Casual and intimate setting, best if dinning outdoors, but inside was still enjoyable.

    I don't even care for sangria, yet I order white and red sangria AND enjoy munching on the little apple chunks from my glass. (Yes, I am sure I look like a weirdo fishing them out with my grubby fingers ; )

    I was most surprised with the fried green peppers. When they were brought to the table I was scared, not what I expected what-so-ever, but we ate every single one of those bad boys.

    I was so stuffed the last time I went, that I was going to skip dessert, however our friendly, on-the-ball server talked us into get one to share. Not only did he bring us a phenomenal banana, caramel mini dessert, he also brought us one he said was his "personal favorite". He also comped both desserts - Where do you find this kind of service??? I'll tell you where...Cafe Ba Ba Reeba!!!

    Whether on a date, with a group, or girls night out, Ba Ba Reeba can do no wrong!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/11/2012

    Went here the other night - food was wonderful!  Only reason I am giving 4 stars instead of 5 stars is because it took a very long time.... we realized we were there for an hour and had only received 2 of the 8 (or so) tapas we had ordered.  We asked our server about this, and she took care of it and the tapas started coming out at a quicker pace after that.  It was so much fun!

  • 1.0 star rating
    9/22/2008

    Absolutely terrible. Less than mediocre. I'm so disappointed! My friends and I were shopping and decided we'd stop and get a bite to eat. Let me say that the service was very good. Our waiter was nice and attentive. However, the food was disgusting. I ordered the chicken empanada. I never knew chicken could be black! It's like they took all the gross leftover pieces of chicken and put them in that empanada. It was gross and I nor my friend could finish it. Then I ordered the goat cheese and marinara sauce (which is a personal favorite of mine). The accompanying garlic bread was much to hard to chew and I could barely taste the flavor in the goat cheese. Finally the sangria also fell flat. It was all TERRIBLY disappointing.

    This is what happens when a restaurant is run by a bunch of cheap asses who use cheap ingredients and then turn around and charge the customer way more than it's worth. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

    Oh and I think it goes without saying that I will not be returning to this establishment.

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/10/2009

    This is an upper-mid scale tapas spot that retains a strong following a score of years after it opened. That's impressive. Seriously, that people would continue to want to dine here two decades after it was the hot spot on the Halsted strip in LP bespeaks something. What that is, I suppose is highly subjective but it will make a review nonetheless.

    If it is innovative tapas you are seeking, you should venture to Mercat in the renovated Blackstone. I'm not looking to damn cbbr with faint praise. If you are looking for a spot to go with a group- perhaps out of towners-  to sample a a vast tapas menu, several sangria options, and some half way clever cocktails. CBBR is your spot and you won't be disappointed. Tapas is always a good option I think- its nature allows you to sample so much without being limited to the starter menu and one or two entres.

    I would say, those of you true foodies would likely turn your noses at CBBR. It's part of a chain, there is no seasonal menu and there is nothing 'local' as far as I can see. But life is boring when we need things a certain way isn't it. So go here with a group. They'll be happy and you likely will too. They can't really jack anything up b/c they've been here doing this for over two decades.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/9/2011

    It was pretty good minus the wait at the bar before the bartender isn't that fast... Stick with the seafood it's the bast

  • 2.0 star rating
    11/23/2008

    I'm surprised that most of these reviews lately have been overwhelmingly positive. When my boyfriend and I went to eat here, we were sadly disappointed in the food.

    All in all, the food was trying too hard, or not trying hard enough; I'm really not sure which one. It didn't taste very authentic. It just tasted like a poor man's attempt at tapas.

    Here's a breakdown of what we ordered:
    1. Endive Salad
    Pretty good, except for these HUGE chunks of membrillo that would have served the salad better had they been cut into tinier pieces.

    2. Caesar Salad w/ Serrano Ham
    Typical caesar salad, a little overdressed.

    3. Fried Calamari w/ Tomato Salsa
    The presentation was horrible. It honestly looked like slop on a plate. The pieces of calamari were huge, and the breading wasn't consistent. It was probably some of the worst calamari I've had. Soggy and flavorless. Same goes for the sauce.

    4. Anchovies w/ Almond Pesto
    One of the better dishes. However, the texture of whatever cream sauce was paired with the pesto detracted from the dish. Everything else was crunchy and sharp-tasting, and the sauce was mushy, and way too creamy.

    5. Beef Tenderloin and Blue Cheese
    Seriously...  $11 for two tiny bites of beef and potato chips. What a rip off! Tasty, but I spent the rest of the meal feeling cheated.

    6. Braised Lamb with Spinach, Couscous, Marcona almonds
    Probably one of the more successful dishes. The flavors were all really good, but everything was over-seasoned. However, I do appreciate that the lame had flavor, which is something I can't say for a lot of the lamb I've had at other restaurants.

    7. Skewered Chicken & Chorizo Sausage
    All kinds of bland. Nothing out of the ordinary. Came with a mysterious dipping sauce on the side. Helped a little bit.

    8. Truffle (Chocolate Cake)
    Apparently, they fail to mention that the cake is flourless. Not bad, but neither a truffle nor a cake, really.

    9. Carmelized Banana w/ Vanilla Ice Cream
    Score. Finally something that surpassed average!

    Thus the 2-star rating. "Meh. I've experienced better."

    The service deserves a better rating, but I can't get over my disappointment with the food. My server was pretty damn good. Save the end of the meal where he was a bit too insistent on our purchasing dessert. He coursed our meal exactly the right way even though we didn't tell him anything when we placed our orders. Also, the mini-churros were awesome. The bussers were great with refilling our water. The food runner, however, was very unclear with announcing our dishes, and kind of threw them onto our table.

    At the end of the meal, when I told the server I wanted the check, he came with dessert menus instead. (Boo!) Then when we told him we didn't want dessert, he left and came back with two desserts on the house since we were first-time customers. (Yay!) Very nice touch of service.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/31/2012

    Last year we attended a rehearsal dinner at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and it was wonderful!  My boyfriend, who didn't think he liked tapas, loved the food and we had a great time there.  So, when it came time for us to find a caterer for our wedding, we called Ba-Ba-Reeba.  I worked with their special events manager, Alison.  She was great to work with!  She was very professional and quick to respond to my many questions.  We actually decided to hold our wedding out of state, but if we had gotten married in Chicago I would have booked Ba-Ba-Reeba in a heartbeat.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/30/2013

    I enjoyed the food but both times, the service has been slow. Not my favorite Lettuce Entertain You restaurant.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/22/2008

    I don't know if there is really anything new I can say when there are already over 300 reviews.

    Our waiter was excellent. Everything we ordered was from good to fantastic. The food highlights were the bacon wrapped dates and the beef with blue cheese. Even better was the sangria and free desserts for my birthday. The chocolate tres leches and caramelized bananas finished off the meal perfectly... and they are minis, so way less guilt inducing.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/26/2010

    Having lived in Barcelona for six months, I know a thing or two about tapas. And this place, is hands down, one of my favorite places to go. Makes me feel like I'm sitting at my favorite tapas bar back in Barri Gotic. Green olives, Sangria, tomato bread, patatas bravas, they have it all! Fun atmosphere, good prices. I still have yet to try the paella, though! I sometimes forget where I am, and order in Spanish. woops

    I go here all the time with my sister, and she's a vegetarian, but she can always find something on the menu.

    Perfect tapas-sized portions, and a fun place to go.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/12/2008

    I like this place! Don't be fooled by the three stars, that's a decent grade.
    The sangria was excellent. We got half a pitcher of peach and half blackberry. Both were delicious. After my second glass, I was quite the spirited bday girl. Especially since I just spent an hour and a half driving through traffic trying to get back into the city. I wanted to throttle someone by the time we made it to the restaurant, but sangria made it all better.

    But I digress...
    The bacon and dates thing was great, and I don't usually like bacon. Goat cheese and tomato sauce bread was good, as was the octopus (but I think Ibericho's octopus is superior, even though Ba-Ba-Reeba is better overall). The only thing I didn't like was the chicken paella. The last time I had paella was in Costa Rica and it was divine. This one tasted burnt, but not in a good way. The chicken was on the dry side, so I knocked off a star for that.
    Because there were two birthday girls in the party, they brought out two chocolate desserts. I am a sucker for anything chocolate, so I was thrilled. By the time we rolled out of the place, I was singing in the streets. Thank you peach sangria. Happy birthday to me!

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/9/2011

    This was prob the best tepas bar iv been too food is fresh the drinks are great and their rice compaired to othet places are moist not dry best dish iv have to say everything was great from the food drinks atmosphere will be going again!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/31/2010

    Although often crowded in the evening and night time for dinner, I find the meal that is best at Ba Ba Reeba brunch.

    Although you will eat, it's quite geared towards the liquid-style-brunch.

    Three words: Bloody Mary Bar.

    I try to stay away from evenings, but it's perfect if you can snag a table on the patio and enjoy some drinks and a light dinner. Not liking crowds and waits, I don't even consider this tapas restaurant on the weekend.

    I've never been unsatisfied here though.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/23/2012

    My family chose Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for my college graduation dinner.  It was amazing!  We arrived half an hour earlier than our reservation, but we were seated immediately by the friendly staff.  Our waitress was fun and incredibly helpful.  She recommended that we order two tapas per person, then share.  What a great recommendation!  We ordered the Spanish Artisanal Cheeses, Spinach and Manchego Stuffed Mushrooms, Citrus-Cured Salmon, Beef Tenderloin and Blue Cheese, Spiced Lamb Kebobs, and the platter with Serrano Ham, Salchichon, Chorizo & Manchego.  It was one of the most fun meals we had ever had!  All of the tapas were positively delicious, and we cleaned our plates.  We even ordered dessert!  We tried the Caramel, Butterscotch, and Chocolate tapas, all of which were to die for.  I had never tried Tres Leche Cake (the Caramel one)... it was love at first bite.  You have to try this place!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/10/2010
    1 check-in

    I'm kinda bias since I love tapas. I've been there for lunch and dinner many times and it's always delivered great food and service. However, the biggest downfall for this restaurant is the fact that you still have to wait 45 minutes even if you have reservations for a big party. And you're supposed to have everyone in your party there (I mean come on, Asian people are always going to be late!) You lose the perfect score for that.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/7/2009

    I know I know, everyone loves it here, not original, but its always my go to place when friends visit and birthdays come around. As a vegi there is plenty for me to choose from, such as the stuffed mushroom caps and the crispy spicy potatoes which if it didn't look trashy, would order all night.

    But don't eat too much as you want to save room and get a good buzz from some sangria. get the sparkling cava: it will change your life, and most importantly, your night.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/19/2010

    This place has some decent food, I think it would be a lot better if the place wasn't so SLAMMED the entire day.  

    For those of you that don't know this is a tapas style restaurant.  This means that instead of a big meal you just order a whole bunch of different appetizers.  

    Both times I've been here I feel like I'm in an overcrowded club, the service was good, the food OK, the food seemed rushed.

    The best part for me about this place is the pitchers of Sangria, you can not go wrong with an entire pitcher of Sangria :)  Although watching them make it is not that appetizing.

    By the way if you plan to drive here forget about it, finding somewhere to park in this neighborhood is like finding a needle in a hay stack.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/20/2012

    I've heard a lot about this place and have been looking to try it out, I went for dinner before a second city show and was a little disappointed. Nothing was bad and the service was good, but I was expecting to be wowed. However the sangria was great and I never saw the bottom of my glass (a good thing.)

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/22/2008

    When I think tapas, I remember the brief time I lived in Madrid. The best tapas came from the littlest bars and restaurants and were served in a very simple, no-nonsense way. No garnishes were needed since the bold flavors spoke for themselves.

    Now I'm in Chicago and I wasn't sure what kind of Americanized tapas to expect. Although not authentic, I was happy to find the tapas at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba to be pretty damn good. The short ribs were tender and could be cut with a fork and the garlic shrimp were just as garlic-y as their Madrid counterparts.

    On the negative side, the stuffed mushrooms tasted like they came out of a box and the paella was missing the great crust that paella's are known for. I've learned not to compare American tapas with Spanish tapas since they are unique in their own way, but for American tapas in Chicago, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is a great place to go.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/3/2008

    I really heart tapas...And have been to Ba Ba Reeba for both dinner and a couple of times to sit at the bar.

    Pluses-
    Champagne Sangria
    Food
    Table Service
    Prices
    $3 Tapas at the Bar

    Minuses-
    Bartenders-- They just aren't friendly...not to me..not to anyone else i know who goes there...and not to the people around me

    why so surly dude?

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/29/2011

    Went her last year with my Bouse-Do-You crew, but remembered I liked the place. I liked it so much I brought my husband back to let him taste the butterscotch flan and the bacon wrapped dates mmmmmm and mmmmmm again. My husband said the same. Great customer service. The Paella was  too bland for my group.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/11/2008

    Adam B and I have this thing where we go to brunch together. This is pretty much ALL we do together (Field Museum and Batman marketing notwithstanding), and it's kind of a fabulous arrangement.

    Anyway, we originally intended to go to Nookies in Old Town, but the wait was roughly a million years, so we just kept walking until we hit Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. If the menu hadn't been posted right outside, we never would have gone in.

    He got this perfectly made waffle with strawberries and cinnamon apples and real whipped cream - none of this Cool Whip crap. And I got Spanish-style eggs benedict -where they switched out the english muffin and replaced it with cornbread - which came with a side of these truly badass breakfast potatoes and some spicy aioli.

    And - since I had MAYBE gone drinking the night before - I was more than slightly grateful that the world's classiest bloody mary bar existed. Because nothing says "breakfast" like a big glass of Gray Goose.

    Our server kept asking us if we wanted to try any tapas - but we were WAY too full. Guess this means I'll have to go back and try ALL of them. Oh noes!

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/26/2011
    1 check-in

    This place was nice. I enjoyed the atmosphere. Food was good I highly recommend the spicy potatoes, empanadas and paella. Everything else was just ehhhh.... The steak is all cooked med. Rare I didn't like that at all.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/13/2009

    This place is loaded in every sense of the word.

    Loaded-good:
    It's always crowded, but in a lively not annoying way
    The menu is stocked with choices
    Waiters are extremely attentive

    Loaded-bad:
    There's usually a wait, even if you have reservations
    The menu is stocked with choices... some of which are totally unauthentic (chicken salad?)
    The drinks are plentiful... but low in alcohol and cavity-inducing sweet

    Compared to Iberico, Ba-Ba-Reeba is a step below in the authenticity department. It's still a nice atmosphere, especially for large groups, and has a few menu standouts. The bacon-wrapped dates and braised lamb are enough to keep me coming back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/24/2011

    Definitely one of the best tapas options in chicago. I had the empanadas, the paella, and patatas bravas all of which were very good, and i had just gotten back from barcelona which it's hard to compare tapas here from there.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/22/2009

    I'm fairly certain this restaurant doesn't need another reviewer but I would like to add my 2 cents to it.  This is my FAVORITE tapas place in the city.  The food makes this place worth coming to EVERYTIME.  I admit, it's not THAT cheap, but a great dinner every once in a blue moon should be well deserved, don't cha think?!  

    Food: This is the reason for coming here. The sangrias are so delish, I'm salivating just thinking about it. Their meat and potato dishes are yummy and helps your tummy soak up some of the alcohol.  =)

    Location: It's on Halsted so all the best trying to find parking. They do offer valet but it's located on a street where you're going to have to stalk people walking to their cars.  

    Atmosphere: They have dancers from time to time and it's not as modern looking as Sangria on Weed Street but this place has a flavor all its own.  Their hot and cold dishes make this place worth coming to!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/17/2009

    I went here for my birthday this year per a friend's recommendation and couldn't have been happier.  First of all, the service was phenomenal.  Not only was our particular server fantastic, attentive, and funny, but the multiple bus people that were around made sure that our waters were never empty and that we always had enough plates for the next dish.  The food was RIDICULOUS!  It was so good.  We all had more than our fair share of tapas and the five of us split a small portion of seafood paella.  We had coffee and desert (I recommend that butterscotch shot of pure seduction they offer.  We had one and immediately ordered two more.  Next time I'll get a few to go) and waddled out of there.

    We got drunk off food and looked like "those" people on the train.  It was great.  I have nothing but good things to say and I'll definitely be back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/30/2011

    Amazing sangria!  I love all of the food here, but my favorite is getting the pinxtos brunch options...mini pancakes?  Yes please.  The atmosphere is comfortable and inviting.  Whenever my husband and I have friends or family visiting from out of town we ALWAYS take them here!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/8/2013
    1 check-in

    Awesome food and margarita's.  By far the best I have every had of either the food or the drinks.  The wait staff was excellent.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/17/2009

    I love cafe ba ba reeba i have been coming here since i was a child with my family. The atmosphere is very calm with dim lights and the rich  spanish culture is very visible throughout the whole resturaunt. nice place to bring a date.

    the empanadas are amazing! i love the chicken empanada  perfect texture of foods that blend together with tender chicken and sauce

    i forgot the name to this but the goat cheese and sauce that you dip garlic bread into is tasty too but sometimes the bread can be a little difficult to bite into depending on who made it that day.

    the garlic potato salad is pact with flavor and is creamy i love it!

    for desert my favorite is the chocolate tres leche cake after you just attacked the dessert you will wish you werent in the resturaunt so you wont look like a barbaric animal for wanting to lick the plate.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/4/2009

    Cafe Babareeba is the perfect remedy for my ADD stomach- little portions, lots of dishes.  They have a pretty extensive menu, so it can be a little overwhelming come ordering time.  Allow me to alleviate any potential stress that may develop from deciding on what to eat.

    Drinks
    You're eating tapas.  Get the sangria.  The passion fruit sangria is by far my favorite, but you really can't go wrong with any of them.  1/2 pitcher = 5 glasses.

    Tapas
    My safe (always ordered, always loved) picks are the bacon wrapped dates (I can eat 4 of these without feeling too guilty bc they are THAT GOOD), spicy potatoes (I've heard them once described them as BBQ potato chips that have been rehydrated and formed back into potatoes), and paella.  Short ribs w/ manchego mashed potatoes are also pretty amazing.

    Be careful when ordering the paella.  The way they write the pricing is a bit unclear.  Make sure you read it thoroughly.  IMO, the paella for 2 is enough for 4 people (unless you don't plan on ordering other dishes.)

    Desserts
    The only one I really like is the caramelized bananas.  Everything else was just okay.  Remember that desserts are also smurf-size.. definitely not enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

    Be prepared to "huh?", "what's that?", "come again", "beg your pardon" your way through the meal.  It can get very noisy.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/13/2009

    I really enjoyed the food here.  My mom and I went for Mother's Day and we ordered a lot:

    Mango sangria (white) - probably my favorite sangria ever, with a light mango flavor, and with orange peel and green apple sticks floating around.  It was perfect.

    Mushroom and rice croqueta (Pintxos menu) - SALTY, rich, flavorful, crispy.  One is enough to share for 2 people, because any more might make you feel sick.

    Serrano ham & caramelized pineapple (Pintxos menu) - the ham was wet and a little too gooey for me to enjoy.  I like the mouth-feel of a dry serrano ham better.  You need one for each person.

    Rioja short ribs and manchego mashed potatoes - very salty boneless short ribs, creamy mashed potatoes with fragrant cheese.  This would be better with less salt in the meat, but the flavor was great and the meat was falling-off-the-bone tender.

    Seafood Paella (minimum order 2) - I loved the smoky flavor of this red paella with shrimp and scallops.  Even the leftovers were delicious.  Two portions could easily feed three people (if you don't eat a lot, or if you order tapas, which is really what you went for, right?).

    I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba.  Our waitress happened to be a Californian and a fellow alum of my undergrad school, and we chatted a bit.  She was really sweet and very attentive.  When we received the bill, my mom was given a $10 certificate for her next visit to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba--a Mother's Day promotion the restaurant was having.  I was informed that for Father's Day, the restaurant will be giving fathers a $25 certificate!

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/9/2008

    I'm a pretty big fan of this place.  The atmosphere and food was great.  This is the best tapas place I've been to so far.  I can't even remember what we ordered.  I do remember the beef tapas dish being excellent and the daily special sangria was inventive and tasty.

    I wish I could write more but I can't remember enough.  Just try it and you'll be a super fan too.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/9/2011
    Listed in Top Restaurants

    Love this place! Never dissapoints! I try to come here atleast once a year, which still isn't enough! This place has lots of seating, even a patio, where I have seen Flamenco dancers perform before. I have done the pinxtos before where you get an assortment of 6 tapas. I also love the beef tenderloin and blue cheese, roasted eggplant with goat cheese (YUM!), patatas bravas and of course the paella!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/8/2011

    SIMPLY DELICIOUS! We had the pinxtos for an appetizer, then tapas, and finally the dessert pinxtos. The place was popping. It was a 2 hour wait on a Friday night - so don't forget to make reservations ahead of time! Despite that, our server (aka bartender), was so attentive. He kept on refilling our sangria glasses (great sangria btw!) and taking away our dirty plates. The food, although it comes in small portions, was amazing and very filling. It's perfect for sharing. My roommates and I had a little bit of everything that each of us ordered. With so many different flavors, my palette was in heaven :) Definitely recommend to anyone in the mood for some great tapas! (keep in mind though that this place is a little pricey)

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/13/2011

    This place has a small menu but the best food! I totally recommend bringing a date here, or just chilling out on a sunday afternoon with some sangria and tapas. One less star because reservations can be difficult sometimes.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    1/15/2009

    I'm glad most places have their menus online so I can come back and remember exactly what we got (even if it is 3 weeks later).

    My friend SWEARS by this place.  She loves the tapas and always comes here whenever she's in Chi-city.  Since we were a little too early to crash another friend's house party, we decided to descend on Ba-Ba-Reeba and give the ol' girl a shot.  We called for reservations for 6:30 but showed up about 5:45 and it was no problem to be seated right away.

    We snatched up a half pitcher of white sangria - so yummy.  Definitely worth the half pitcher if you will be splitting with another person.

    There were three of us and we ordered the.... citrus-cured salmon (not very good - too much cucumber mush on the bread), crispy spicy potatoes (YUMMM), baked goat cheese (YUMMM), chicken ham croquettes (yum), chicken empanada (small, but yum), some special beef tenderloin dish - three tenderloins with different toppings (yummmm)

    So basically we stuck to the meat and potatoes which constitutes much of the menu space.  Great for sharing with groups, as per tapas' style, and well presented in a nice pace; once we finished a dish another was right in its place.  Overall, we ate WAY too much and were totally stuffed.  A friend got one of the bite-sized desserts (seriously, it was tiny), but I still could not have fit anything else in my stomach.

    The restaurant is cute and very red.  Cozy tables, extensive menu, lots of space, fun atmosphere.  I'd come again if I were in Chicago and wanted to enjoy lots of different flavors with a large group!  Plus, we only had one type of the sangria....

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/30/2010

    One of my favorite places in the city.  Great atmosphere, fun people, and amazing food and drinks tops this place off as my goto spot for either a fun date or a great night out on the town with good friends.  The wait can get long but you can call and make reservations.  I love that they have assorted Sangria flavors on tap.  Every girl I've brought here loves the Sangria (sometimes a little too much)..  

    This place rocks.  That's real talk.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/1/2008

    Ah...tapas.  how I love thee.  

    Cafe Ba Ba Reeba always has a good selection of tapas to fit any palate.  We forwent the bacon wrapped dates for the bacon wrapped scallops.  I think I prefer the dates better.

    We also had the octopus and potatoes (yum), olives (who doesn't like olives??), stuffed mushrooms (puts the fun in fungi) and the flank steak (meh).   The Husband had the red sangria and he loved it.

    I am not a huge fan of their dessert selection.  The flan is great.  Blueberries, and any of the sorbets are not so yummy.  Coffee was good. :)

    Service is always great and we'll probably come back when it's nice out.  Sitting on the patio in winter isn't as much fun.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/21/2008
    Listed in I Nothing You

    3.5

    Between the mixed reviews of unfriendly service and "Trixie/Chad" customers and the fact that it is kind of a chain restaurant (having another restaurant in Las Vegas) I expected to dislike it.

    Saturday night at 6PM my friends and I (5 people) walked in with no reservation and wanted to sit on the patio. The hostess that helped us was friendly and took our information and predicted a 30-40 min wait. We actually only waited at the bar for about 20 min, tops, and while drinking a pitcher of sangria the time passed quickly.  I am not a sangria fan but on this evening I did not seem to have a problem helping to finish the pitchers we got.

    Once seated on the patio our server (Desere I think) greeted us right away and made some menu recommendations.  We got another pitcher of sangria and set out to decide on items from the menu.  We got a small lobster paella (which takes 30 min) and decided to order our first round of tapas.  The easiest way we found to do this was to have each of us pick one plate and then all share it. The highlights from this round were the goat cheese stuffed mushrooms and escargots and the spicy potatoes.  Although I enjoyed everything I found the hot tapas dishes on the greasy side.  The big hits for the table for the second round were the hot goat cheese and the roasted tomatoes filled with tuna.  The food came out very quickly.

    After two pitchers of sangria, 11 small plates and small paella were all very full.  Surprisingly the bill did not turn out to be as expensive as I expected for all of the food that we had. We paid about $30/per person.  Overall it was a much better experience than I expected service was great and fast and the food, although kind of greasy, was tasty and good. I do not know if I will go back but it not for bad food or bad service  , because I would rather explore other Chicago tapas restaurants.

    My suggestions:

    -As expected most items came with 2-4 pieces which is not always easy when you have a party of 5, so be prepared to split mushrooms or scallops in half with your dining companions.

    -Order some tapas from both the hot and cold sides of the menu to balance out the greasiness of the hot items.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/29/2011

    Delicious food (Tapas) at a fair price. Plus the drinks and great desert ...you can't go wrong. Their outdoor area is also nice when the weather permits. I will very likely be coming back in the near future. Make reservations because it's always packed!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/6/2009

    So a friend told me about "Bacon wrapped dates" and I thought:

    1.  I don't like Bacon (really i don't - probably one of the only things besides syrup that I just despise).
    2.  I just had a brain fart - what is a DATE again? What food group is it in?

    But I am now the dish's #1 fan - GO BACON WRAPPED DATES!

    Okay, moving on.  I enjoyed this place, it's a little (or a lot more) crowded than I would like and I think the 30 minute wait (even though we had a reservation) and the hostess calling your name over the speaker is pretty lame and commercial-y - but the food for the price is pretty awesome.

    Definetly make a reservation because the guy that we were sitting next to at the bar (with no reservations) got seated AN HOUR after me and my bf did!!  

    We had a pitcher of the passion fruit sangria (and for $20 I think it's a good deal) and it really creeps up on you - it's all nice and tasty and sweet then BAM!!! after about 2 and half glasses we were giggling like school girls.      

    So this is what we had as far as the tapas go (in order of preference)
    1.  Bacon wrapped dates - Obviously!
    2.  Beef tenderloin medallions in bleu cheese - didn't enjoy the potato chips that came with it, but the meet was nicely cooked (medium) and that bleu cheese complimented it really well
    3.  Crispy Calamari - this was the largest dish is size btw, I enjoyed the sauce it came in a lot.
    4.  Garlic shrimp - in olive oil and chili flakes, subtle and delicious
    5.  Potato Salad

    And for dessert:
    1.  Caramelized banana with vanilla ice cream:  :) ;) :) :) :) :)
    2.  Mango sorbet (in a shot glass?), eh it is what it is
    3.  Caramel marcona almond tart: not a fan, it was like one of those caramel candy bars but with almonds in it i guess.

    Our bill came out to $49 something (it didnt include the $20 pitcher we got at the bar), and we were both shocked since we were definitely nice-n-full!!  

    The timing was right, we didnt wait too long and everything didnt bombard us all at once.  The portions did their job for a party of two. And we got a nice variety (including dessert).  I wish I could eat in tapas style at every meal (so I wouldn't stuff my face like I tend to do!!!)

    I haven't been to Cafe Iberico yet. . . .  (So I can't compare, things can still change) but I have been to Emilio's (was not impressed at all) and a few local tapas joints.

    I will definitely be coming back for more sangria and tapas :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/15/2012

    Just a consistent place.You know what you get each time you there.Love their food and ambiance specially on the weekends.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/15/2008

    i see nipples nipples everywhere

    nipples nipples I should not stare!

    luvs luvs luvs summer time and al fresco dining, summer dresses, sangria, goat cheese and bread and more sangria peach this time and order 3 more of those bacon thingys and HOLY pretty lady in the white dress coming yonder!

    bamboleo! ;-)

    so now you know.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/11/2009

    I was disappointed with this place. I expected more based on the reviews. It was my first time there but the people I was with were there before and they liked it. Well something must have changed because the food was bland. The shrimp were on the small side , like the ones you can get at Jewel on sale. The beef was missing something - oh yeah flavor. And the horseradish sauce , was just a sauce that maybe shared shelf space with a horseradish , because there was no tang in the sauce itself.
    The desserts- What can I say ... Cold bananas for the fried banana dessert. Once again maybe they were placed near a frying pan but never made it in?
    The one redeeming part of our dinner - the sangria. It was delicious.
    I'll stick with Emilios on Clark and Fullerton for Tapas.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/21/2011
    3 check-ins

    I heard a lot about this place but when I went there I was not really impressed. Food is not that great neither is the service. I mean the food is okay but I did not feel like it deserved all that attention. I think it is a bit over hyped. It is a nice place to hang out with friends over a few drinks but not for a substantial meal.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/29/2011

    So I wrote a review of Tapas Barcelona where I stated how much I love Café BaBaReeba and realized I never actually bothered to write a review of Café BaBaReeba.  So for completeness sake I'll do it now.  Love this place.  Almost always get the plato de la casa to start off although somedays just get the plate of Serrano ham as it's the best part of the house plate.  Atmosphere is fun, although crowded on Friday/Saturday nights.  Only complaint was the best dish they had was a spicy pork dish that has been gone for about a year now.  Losing that dish was a disaster, please please please bring it back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/8/2010

    Oh, this place is great, and I could eat dinner here every night. Easy to make reservations online at OpenTable. If nothing else, you must try the spicy potatoes and sangria.

    Great place to go with a big group of people and a guaranteed hit for everyone you bring. The servers are very knowledgeable and can make great recommendations if you're not sure what you'd like.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/22/2011
    1 check-in

    Awesome! So this is my first time taking advantage of restaurant week. I am very pleased with the place we picked. The price and the amount of food we received was on point. From the prix fixe menu, you choose a pixto, 2 tapas, a paella and a dessert. I had the spanish cheese and quince for my pixto which was just two pieces of fruit and two chunks of cheese. This was my least favorite thing from the entire nite but, it didn't kill the evening. The tapas i had were DELICIOUS. I love lamb so it was a braised lamb dish with coucos, spinach and almonds. Everything in this dish were so perfect. I also had a grilled calamari tapas which was very good as well. I was super super excited about the paella, and i'm sorry to say it was not the star. In my paella was shrimp, tomato, greenbean and of course the rice. Everything in the paella was good except for the rice, it was kind of hard. This was my first time trying it so i wasn't sure if it was suppose to be like that or not. But still this was not a deal breaker.  Finally dessert, we were so stuffed we had our dessert packed to go, but when i got home...my oh my...the Caramel - Dulce de leche, Tres Leche Cake was SO GOOODDDDD!!!!!! I have nerve had it prepared so perfectly before. I so want another piece right now!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/7/2008
    Listed in Open Table

    There's already nearly 300 reviews for this place... can I really add anything new?  Probably not.  However, I have to say that the sangria here really is the best ever.  I love the white, the red, the peach, the passion fruit, all of them.  And they're not just tasty-- they're strong too!  Watch out when you try to stand up!

    Most of the tapas are really good too-- as others have mentioned, the bacon wrapped dates are not to be missed.  The goat cheese is great and  the potato omelet is so good that one of my friends orders one for when she's there and one to take home.

    I tried to branch out a little bit last time I was there and tried the seafood calderos (kind of a stew).  They say a small serves 2-3, but honestly I had leftovers for almost a week.  It was tasty, but a little salty.  Maybe that's why I drank so much sangria...

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/20/2009

    Yum Yum Yum. I love myself some Reeba-  grilled squid, fried peppers with coarse salt, lamb chops, shrimp brochette, bacon wrapped dates....drrooolllinngg

    As a person who has worked in the industry for several years- Service is Everything, And Babareeba gives it to you like Tanya Harding gave it to Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. If by some horrible twist of fate a mistake or two is made and you are unhappy- the Manager will take care of you- no questions asked. Free dessert, gift certificates, all that jazz. You will never leave thinking you got screwed.

    Definitely make reservations, but I recommend going on a weeknight. Friday and Saturday is INSANE and I'm all about taking my time, space, and filling the table up with stuffed mushrooms, citrus salmon, the house cheese place, seared sausages...somebody get a mop.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/29/2010

    I love vodka...so naturally I love bloody mary's, real bloodys - as opposed to a fake one with tomato juice and a celery stick...ba-ba-reeba has THE BEST bloodys. Top shelf vodka (yessss) and as many (quality) fixins your cup can fit.  I'm creaming - it's that damn good. Oh ya, their tapas son muy deliciosos.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/26/2012

    This tapas place is amazing ... I have been going there for the past 6 years and its amazing ... food is great, price is VERY reasonable, my husband LOVES their sangria!  Service is for the most part good, a few times slow when too crowded and its hard to get a table on the weekends BUT the amazing food makes the wait worth it.

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/25/2010

    I was there the first week of Jan. for a family event.

    The place is nice, we had our own room which was great in the back.
    The menu was all set up and the food was ready to be served.
    Lets see, i had some Tapas before in Boston and this is nothing like it at all.
    If the Sangria was not even Sangria. It was more like red wine w/fruit.
    Paella, is that what they called their rice w/seafood. Because it tasted like something I would of cooked at home.

    Over all - would not go there again unless someone invites and even then I would think twice.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/18/2008

    Some of the best assortments of tapas I have had anywhere. It is the kind of food one wakes up craving. The ambiance is very authentic and lively. It is also great to through parties. My sister's wedding rehearsal dinner was here and they did a fantastic job. Service is always great and the sangria is perfect.

    If you like tapas and you haven't been here - you are missing out.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/20/2011

    This place is so damn good. I went for dinner and a weekend brunch. The brunch was great. It had a make your own bloody mary. You order the Vodka then you pick which juice and other ingredients to put it. The service is excellent and the setting is so fun. The waitstaff is super friendly and helpful if your new to the tapas experience. This is definitely not a place to go solo, though you can. Having a big group is great. The sangria is VERY good. There isn't much here that isn't super flavorful and fresh. And they bring it out in steps so it's a constant stream of amazing food. The chef has also made a commitment to natural and very fresh farm raised and local foods. I can't imagine this doesn't help the quality and taste of this wonderfully delightful tapas bar.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/19/2009

    You want amazing tapas? Head up to Twist a Tapas.
    You want a decent tapas meal, with quick service? Ba-Ba-Reeba will work.

    The tapas I approve of: goat cheese, sausage sampler (not the real name), chorizo and chicken kabobs, endive salad.

    I don't know Spanish wines well, so it was disappointing that our server had no knowledge of Spanish wines either. A good place for groups.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/13/2008

    This restaurant came highly recommended to me by a friend who, by his own admission, "isn't really into food" (What!!) I was skeptical, but after a visit there, I have to say say these are the best tapas I've had in Chicago!  Everything is carefully prepared, the portions are surprisingly large (between two people, we couldn't finish 5 dishes), and the prices are beyond reasonable.  

    This is a great place to eat vegetarian without feeling at all deprived.  The selection of hot and cold vegetable tapas is fantastic.  I recommend the patatas bravas, the mushroom empanadas, and the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce.  Our waitress was very sweet and came by to check on us periodically without being obtrusive, and at the end of the meal she surprised us with complementary slices of a delicious tres leches cake because it was our first time at the restaurant.  The host was also very accommodating and welcomed us warmly despite the fact that we showed up 5 minutes before they stopped taking orders. Excellent food, excellent service, great dining experience overall.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/25/2008

    The first time I went to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was probably a good three years ago. It was my first tapas experience and I did not enjoyed it. I didin't know what to ordered and our server wasn't very helpful at all. I have never gone back since then but a friend, convinced me to go back and try it again and I did. I went there for Xmas eve dinner with some of my close friends and this time I loved it. We ordered the creamy garlic potatoes, it was really good. We also ordered the Scallop that was delished and a few couple more. Even the Pomegranate Sangria was amazing! I enjoyed all of them, the service was great as well. However, I wasn't quite liking the deserts, except the Mango Sorbet but you can't really go wrong with that.

    Overall, we all had fun, we ate and drink good stuff and good service. I am glad I gave this place a second chance :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/23/2008

    My favorite place!! I have always been one of those people that couldn't decide what to eat and always ended up over ordering.  So Tapas is perfect for me.  I know it's a Let us entertain you restaurant so it's not a special find or anything, but it is my favorite restaurant.  Sangria is amazing I get the white passion, and here is a list in no special order of my favorite hot tapas...
    Bacon raped dates
    blue cheese tenderloin
    scallops with cous cous
    SPICY POTATOES (must have)
    stuffed mushrooms

    It's a great group place you MUST make a reservation though!

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/2/2008
    1 check-in

    The last time he and I met here for dinner was 2000 with a group of friends.  We sat at opposite ends of the table.  We had the paella, and I enjoyed it but somehow, I never made it back - until last week.

    It was a perfect dinner.  Maybe it was having gazpacho just like I had in Spain.  Maybe it was the two pitchers of sangria.  Maybe it's that he's my husband now.  

    This is a restaurant, where you can't forget the food or the company.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/13/2009

    Despite, not being a huge fan of the location.  This place is pretty good.  I especially enjoyed the papaya, stuffed mushrooms, and the pappas w/ chipotle mayo.  It's good for groups on weeknights.  Beer was a little pricier than I hoped for.  You should probably just go ahead and get some sangria there.

    I'm sure I'll be back someday, if I can be dragged down that way.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/28/2010

    The first time I was here I probably would've given Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba 3 stars.  It was my first tapas experience and the food was good but nothing blew me away, but after last night's dinner with the BF I officially love this place and can't wait to go back again!

    One of the things I have learned to love about my BF is how he will order for me.  I have to admit, I was a little taken back by that on our first date but he did get it right!  So, I think having someone who really loves tapas and clearly knows how to order off of their extensive menu is the key to tapas bliss.  I gave him free reign of the menu and everything my BF ordered here was wonderful.  I would have to say my favorites were the goat cheese croqueta, endive salad, braised lamb, and last but not least....escargot.  YUM!  I could've probably eaten a whole plate of snails smothered in tomato sauce and goat cheese sitting atop a garlic croquet.  There was one moment where he did order something I was a bit cautious about....flan.  I have had flan before but it must've been horrible flan because, once again, the BF got it right.  The flan at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba made me a new fan of flan.  It was yummy, creamy, and a perfect end to a great meal.  

    By the end of our night out we shared 2 half pitchers of sangria (one raspberry and the other peach), enjoyed delicious foods that I normally wouldn't have tried, and again realized that maybe I should trust my BF a little bit more... he usually knows what he's talking about even though I hate to admit it! :)  Can't let that stuff get to his head, right?!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/19/2011
    1 check-in

    FUN PLACE!!  Great Sangria and the food...YUM!!

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/14/2011

    Overview: good atmosphere, decent food, sangria is way too sweet, prices are what I would consider slightly high but that is likely just a reflection of the neighborhood. Pass on the paella.

    Details
    I am very new to the Chicago area and tried this out Friday night with my SO. All in all, it's a decent little spot. Love the patio (where we sat) and the interior seemed nice as well.

    We had the pinxtos platter, which is six " one bite" tapas that are supposedly traditional in northern Spain. These were all very good and we were able to get two bites out of each :)

    We weren't terribly hungry when we decided to stop in, so we decided to split a small serving of seafood paella as our main. Small is right. We asked the waiter if it would be enough for two along with the pinxtos and he assured us it would be, and that the larger portion is a ton of food for two people. While at may be true, the small portion is not enough for two ( we hadn't mentioned to him that we weren't hungry). Now, that said, I am not one of these people who expect TGI Fridays size platters of food. Quite the opposite. But honestly, this would have been barely enough for one person if there'd hadn't been the tapas first and some bread on the table if the person was hungry for dinner. Portion  size aside, the paella was only ok. I'd say it was a bit greasy and definitely didn't have a lot of seafood in it. Also could be considered a bit bland, mostly a strong tomato flavor with garlic in the background, though it did come with some sort of basil aioli that I didn't care for and have never seen served with a paella; perhaps this helped the flavor? But again, added grease.

    Finally, the sangria. Not a bad price on the half and full pitchers if it was worth drinking. Which it is not. Perhaps I'm spoiled, but to me sangria should still taste like wine. Yes, you should have a bit of sweetness and be able to taste the fruit clearly, but it shouldn't taste like koop aid that someone dumped some red wine in to. I hear their margaritas and cocktails are much better.

    Conclusion: probably won't be going back of my own choosing, but wouldn't refuse to go if someone really wanted to eat there.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/23/2008

    I have been here many times and this place was the first tapas place I have ever been to.  I fell in love with sitting outside when the awning is open eating small portions of food like the tomato and goat cheese thing, the spicy potatoes and the hanging shrimp.  I would suggest you skip the paella, I did that once and it decided I would just stick with the small plates that require no planning.  

    Also, they don't take reservations to sit outside but if you go there you can usually get in after a short wait at the bar as long as you wink at the hostess when your girl isn't looking... it is worth the wait to eat al fresco I think.  

    You can take a date there, sit outside, get full while not feeling bloated, get drunk on Sangria, enjoy great service, sit on an uneven surface and play the wobbly chair game, and only spend 60 to 80 bucks.  How could I give it less than 5 stars?  It would be unconscionable.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/17/2011

    food is delicious! however, very expensive! And noisy. I remember being crammed in a little table literally next to another person while eating dinner, which made the whole experience somewhat uncomfortable.

    The paella is tasty, but they charge per person! Beware!

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/16/2009

    I have been to this place quite a few times.  Once or twice with one other friend, and a few times with a group.  I have never been disappointed.  The food is delicious and the atmosphere is great.  What I love most about this place is the drinks.  Their sangria comes in the traditional format, but they also have some flavored versions of it.  You must try at least one other flavored sangria.  As for the tapas, everything is good, and I can't say I have ever had anything bad.  But obviously nothing is SUPER GOOD.

    I highly recommend this place for a big get-together or birthday party.  You can comfortably sit there, enjoy the food, the drinks, and the low reddish lighting that makes it really OK to drink a little too much sangria.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/5/2011

    The food here is amazing! Everything Ive had so far has been up to par. I especially love their peach sangria!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/14/2009

    The food is absolutely delicious!  If I didn't love something, I at least liked it.  The ambience is very busy and things are bustling.  The bar was packed.  

    I leave off one star because I have two minuses.  The first was the wait time.  I made a 7pm reservation 2+ weeks ago for dinner in celebration of my birthday.  We were told that things were running behind, and we didn't get seated until 7:32pm.  If that were my restaurant, I would've comped the table a pitcher of sangria or something.  I realize it's not their fault that diners linger, but how about some customer service?  A lot of restaurants apologize for making you wait for your reservation and try to make it up to you.  Everyone's reservations were pushed back - it was not an ideal situation.  The restaurant should've bucked up and tried to show some hospitality for making people wait like that.  Just a token would've been nice - free sodas?  A plate of spicy potatoes?  Something.  You know people would've been impressed/pleased and raved about the restaurant as a result.

    The second minus regards one of my orders.  I ordered the rioja short ribs with mashed potatoes.  Pluralizing "rib" was misleading, because I got one tiny slice of meat that was about... 1" x 6'" and 1/4" high, with maybe a 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes, and it cost me $8.50.  I respect and revere the animals we eat, but I expect a little more out of $9.  Wouldn't you?

    Other than the "ribs," everything else seemed to be priced okay.  The desserts were small and only cost $2.75, which was perfect.  I wish all restaurants did that.  By the time I've had my fill of dinner, I don't have room for a slice of cake the size of my head - I just want a little sweet taste!  

    Dishes that made me say OH MY GOD: calamari, spicy potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, pork kabobs with confit potatoes, and (for dessert) the caramelized bananas, chocolate cake and almond tort.  Wow!!  Mouth is happy.  :)  

    Summary:  fun place with delicious food.  Don't expect your reservation to be honored, and if it isn't, try to relax at the bar.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/9/2011
    6 check-ins

    This place is very solid.  It is popular though so make a reservation.  If you check in there on Yelp you get free food!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/5/2008

    Our company took us here for a night of drinking and eating. The food was delicious!

    I would definitely like to go back and try the shrimp.

    there was a group of about 15, however, we didn't get to try everything as we would have liked.

    I think I'll suggest this to the girls for a night on the town.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/1/2011
    Listed in Gimme Some Yum

    I can't get enough of this place. I love the quince and cheese and that's so filling but so hard to stop eating. Same with the spicy potatoes.The braised lamb really stands out and the sirloins here are always cooked perfectly. The beet and orange salad isn't the best beet salad around but it's great just to have a tiny bite of salad between all the other dishes. The roasted dates are also on my list of favorites. There are so many things to like on the menu and it's such a laid back place. A really good place to bring out of town friends or parents. I haven't tried the stuffed mushrooms yet but believe me, I will.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/3/2011

    I have been to this restaurant several times and it never disappoints.  They have added some new menu items and loved it. I have tried other tapas restaurants and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is still the best.  You should definitely make reservations, if you don't you will be waiting a long time unless you can find a seat at the bar. The stuffed mushrooms are my favorite, a must have!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/1/2011

    YUM!!! came here for a low key birthday dinner with the roommates. the wait was at least 1 hr to 1.5 hrs when we got there at 6:30pm on a friday night so we opted to eat at the bar instead. this place is huge and really loud. definitely tough to hear anybody you are talking to even if you're sitting next to them. the food was delish! we ordered the crab and shrimp dip, beef empanada, chicken kabab with corn/chick pea salad, calamari, bacon wrapped dates, and the spinach and manchego stuffed mushrooms. we also ordered a pitcher of the black raspberry sangria. it seemed a little bit expensive for tapas but it was tasty so i can definitely overlook the price. a reservation would probably be a good idea for next time especially on the weekends. =)

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/6/2011

    We went here for the first time last night with one other couple. The place is huge and was certainly bustling. We were seated right away at our reservation time. The place appears dirty or maybe just outdated. We ordered the passion fruit sangria which was delicious. Chorizo wrapped dates, blue cheese steak and scallops where amazing tapas. The rest were very mediocre. Our service was absolutely terrible. The waiter never came to our table, and when he did, it was because we had to wave him over from his "perch" near the kitchen. We would've ordered more food and drinks if he came back....but we got sick of waiting for him and decided to get our bill and leave. All the other waitstaff seemed to be great and attentive, we just got a dud.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    8/5/2011
    1 check-in

    Superb! I go for every special occasion. enough said!

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/5/2008
    Listed in OMG! ROFLMAO!

    The first time I came to Ba-Ba-Reeba was in 1999.  It was the first time I had ever had tapas, and really, this kind of food in general.  My friend did the ordering and I initially turned my nose up at the bacon-wrapped dates.  She put one on my plate and said "really, just try it".

    I have since promised myself never to pre-judge anything wrapped in bacon ever again.  Hands down the best thing on the menu here.

    Now, add sangria (I recommend the red or the Cava, which is the sparkling version of sangria with licor 43 and chambord) along with a truly stunning and excellently executed flamenco show and I just dont know how your night could be better.

    Well, you could order the paella or a dessert, but I wouldnt want to be accused of crippling someone with too much sensory overload.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/30/2009

    It's tapas.  Pretty bland food, and IMHO pretty overpriced.

    But...they were accommodating of our large party, were good with allergies (nuts, celiac disease, etc) and very friendly.  So they get an extra star for that.

    It's a Lettuce restaurant, which to me translates as good food to take your parents from out of town because they're used to the Olive Garden and don't want to get too adventurous.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/13/2010

    This maybe the best food on EARTH.  All of their dishes are amazing and so is the sangrias!    I think going here with a friend or two to split everything, but I've also ordered take out here and you can't go wrong here... mmmmm  Average tab for two people like $70 without tip....INCLUDES SOME DRINKS....more if you are an alky...

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/5/2008

    Definitely a place I've been wanting to go for awhile, and I'm glad I did.

    The Sangria was excellent (especially passion fruit and the red ones), the tapas were good (I had the chicken kabob, fried green tomatoes with goat cheese, and the potato and cheese omelette amongst others), and they have a small crowded yet great eating area outside - sit there when you can!

    BUT if you're stuck between choosing from two sangria flavors and the waitress tells you she can "split the pitcher and you can have both," don't be fooled by what seems like kindness because they are just trying to rip you off by buying 2 half pitchers (which is way more expensive than just purchasing one full pitcher and going from there).

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/29/2009

    Loved this place. I mean, it's Tapas, and it's good. What's not to love?

    I can see how some people would say it's too expensive, but I like to think you're paying for the experience. The outdoor seating is fantastic and the place just has a life to it.  I liked the noise, I liked the action...it's tapas with a decent bar (and insane Sangria), that's what you should be looking for.  We were seated quickly, and our waiter was informative and helpful.

    I'd say we ate about 85% of the food that was served, which is a mark of a good tapas place in my book.

    I haven't been to any other tapas joint in Chicago, so there might be better, but this place is the goods.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/10/2009
    3 check-ins

    I love Care- Ba-Ba-Reeba.  They have excellent food and I am a huge fan of the Black Cherry Sangria.  I've been on numerous occasions and always have a great time.  The food is great wether you're at the bar or dining in at a table.  I always find the service to be great even though they are swamped busy.  I havne't had anything here that I don't like.  You MUST try it out.

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/29/2010

    Over the next several reviews you will notice a commonality between them. Sure, I'll give you a prize if you figure it out... maybe a drink or just a nice pat on the back.

    Stop one: Rough beginnings
    First off, I'll admit I've never been a fan. Meaning just I've been before and not really cared for the establishment. There is just something about the service, decor, drinks and especially the food that rubs me the wrong way. But foolishly I came in thinking maybe this time will be different... flash forward... I had to take a day off from work due to severe stomach cramps among other happenings that I won't divulge. Some THING didn't agree with me to say the least. That thing was paella!! I generally eat pretty healthy so certain greasy foods just don't agree with me but it's never been this bad. So it could be one part me, two parts nasty paella.

    The night didn't start how it ends though. My date and I walked in to a smiling host who sat us right away. After meeting about 20 waiters (of course exaggerating but not by much) we were finally off ordering. To start we had stuffed mushrooms and the chicken empanadas which were both pleasant but nothing to tell mama about (Mama luuuuvess tapas). After a few drinks and some descent food, I was starting to think Café Ba Ba Reeba and I were developing a nice relationship. Then I made the mistake of trying something new, but I thought it was safe I mean they are known for their paella, aren't they?!?! Hell, it's even in their logo "Tapas and Paella"! We ordered the "special" paella and what we received was "special" indeed... what was served was this greasy, soft rice, and what looked to be chicken (tasted like that "chicken" in frozen dinners other wise known as rib meat). It was a mess and both of us had the same feeling right away but being hungry still we decided to go with it. The portion size is for two but we could barely stomach it and decided to call it quits after eating only half of it (most of that half eaten by myself). Not feeling well right off the bat, we wanted quickly to call it a night but couldn't find our waiter, who hasn't shown up since stopping by when the paella came. It's almost unbelievable how quickly the night changed from good service and descent food to well the opposite. It was not a good night to say the least.

    Really all I have to say is never again blah blah Reeba!

  • 2.0 star rating
    11/8/2010

    Erm...more like Cafe Blah Blah Ree Blah. Been here a few times and still cannot get over what the hype is about. Maybe because i'm a spoiled die hard Iberico fan, but I feel like everything is overpriced and not as many selections as Iberico. I simply don't understand what is so great about it. Yes the bacon wrapped dates are delicious, but to me if you want good cheap tapas, Iberico wins this war.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/26/2011

    went here on a date and it was great :)  wasn't sure what to order, we asked the waiter and all of his tapas recommendations were AMAZING.  i believe we ordered 4/5 tapas and that was perfect for us.  my favorite is the bacon wrapped dates...they are so good.  

    also love the atmosphere.  usually busy recommend always calling ahead to make a reservation.  i can't wait for the patio to open up, such a lovely place.  i think this place is perfect for after work with coworkers, a date, and also if you want to enjoy the weather and enjoy great food with a close friend :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/12/2010

    I love tapas, and had a great experience at this place and would definitely go back again. The olive plate was delicious and we ordered a GREAT inexpensive bottle of white rioja, but I can't remember the name! One star off for slow service but it was pretty packed.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/29/2008

    The food and service probably deserve the 4 stars. So does the "programming": I mean, where else can you see Flamenco dancing for $10 and enjoy yummy tapas?

    The bathrooms, however, deserve .5 stars. I mean, come on Ba-Ba-Reeba. You've been in this location for years, pull in loads of money, are usually packed and yet, the bathrooms are constantly falling apart? I investigated both of the ladies' rooms last night and was appalled. I've seen better johns in dive bars or at McDonald's.

    OK, back to the review. But man, that seriously annoyed me. Ba-Ba-Reeba isn't the only establishment to neglect the bano, but it was probably the one that sent me over the edge!

    This is a great and dependable place for tapas. I find the prices to be fair, the service accomodating and it's a great place for groups. There's something to be said for a place that instantly conjures up images of dates wrapped in bacon...last night I tried the scallops with cous cous for the first time and a pork tapas that had just the right amount of spice. While I have been to Spain and eaten patatas bravas  more times than I can remember, it's the sauce here that I always return to.

    So, I'll definitely be back. Just renovate the bathrooms, people! We're not in elementary school!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/14/2011
    2 check-ins

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is a unique dining experience!  All the dishes are medium size in portion, but everything is meant to share!  We love their sangria and the bacon and dates, everything is really good from the nuts to the olives and the paella!  The potatoes in the aoli sauce are also a must have!

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/11/2008

    Every bodies given this place a varied review, but sorry, I didn't have that great a time here, went on Saturday, ordered x2 different tapas dishes, the  grilled squid in olive oil and garlic and the roast tomato filled with tuna.
    After getting my food and trying the tuna dish all I could do was laugh..the tuna, no lie or exaggeration tasted like it had come from the can into my plate, the tomato was good, but the tuna, seriously, from the can. The grilled squid wasn't bad, it was a little tough, but not bad.  
    The friends I went with ordered the roast eggplant salad with goat cheese, and the roast dates with bacon & apple vinaigrette. They said that their order wasn't all that either, not as bad as my tuna, but not all that good either, so it's not just me....for all you lot thinking I'm just crapping on this place! ;p
    Obviously after this "food" I had to order something to wash it down with, I got the peach sangria, felt like a different drink and have previously had red and white wine sangria's at other restaurants...it wasn't bad, pretty strong but not bad at all.

    Overall, not that pleased with the food, I actually ended up just eating the squid, and the tomato from the other dish, the tuna made me feel a little ill to be honest, more out of aggravation and just generally wasn't good.

    Unfortunately would have to say, I would NOT go back to this place, maybe I just had a bad experience, but since this is MY experience, I wouldn't go back...

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/27/2010

    We go here for brunch once or twice a month. They have all the regular items plus a few special breakfast things. We always get the sausage fried paella rice w a scrambled egg instead of a poached egg, it is crunchier than the regular paella and it always hits the spot.

    The House plate (serrano ham, tomato bread and chorizo), spicy potatoes, and goat cheese baked in tomato sauce are our other favorites. We've tried every other tapas place in the city, nothing else seems to cut it.

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/10/2009

    I don't understand why everyone loves Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba so much.  Having lived in Spain, I can say with certainty that something was lost in translation when putting together the tapas menu.  The food isn't bad, which is why a lot of Chicago-ans claim to love the place, but it just seems very contrived and un-authentic (I guess after all it is a part of a huge chain of Lettuce Entertain You restaurants).  And the service is not up to par...I had a reservation and made plans around dinner, but ended up having to wait almost an hour for a seat (it was a party of 2...it's not that hard to scrounge up a table for JUST 2 PEOPLE, especially if I had reservations).

    I have a feeling people love Cafe BBRB because of the bandwagon effect.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/10/2008

    Delicious! The first time I had ever had tapas, but I went with my tapas-experienced husband. I had been having a bad week and this place cheered me up. I ordered the special wild mushroom soup with aspargus-manchigo cheese toast / potato + onion omelette (with a delicious sauce) / olive platter and my husband ordered the "citrus cured salmon cucumber bread" and "beef skewer with horseradish cream and caramalized red onions".

    I should add that I thought my husband was going to break into a full-on swoon when he tasted the beef dish. He said it was exceptionally well-prepared, and he's very picky. He also said he could have eaten an entire bowl of the onions.

    We both liked the olives, but I adored the wild mushroom soup with toast. Amazingly creamy...  plenty of options on this menu for vegetarians and carnivores alike!

    We ordered a really good Spanish red wine, a Tempranillo from Rioja, if you're a wine geek (I'm not, but the restaurant's menu is online so I was able to cheat.)

    Our server was very kind and brought us a complementary dark chocolate desert with real whipped cream, in honor of it being our first time at the restaurant.

    The tables can be a bit tightly placed for some, I gather. A girl pitched a fit when the host brought her over to the table next to us because she'd be too close to us. We had to laugh as she decided nothing in the restaurant was far enough from anyone else and stormed out. Dinner and entertainment, perfect!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/20/2009

    Love Ba-Ba-Reeba. I always order way more than I eat - someday I'll learn my lesson and order one or two fewer plates.

    We had brunch there for the 1st time this weekend; the brunch tapas are great and a very different take on normal brunch fare.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/27/2012

    Awesome place to get a great meal!  Also, have done a wine tasting here, which was loads of fun!  Great place for a romantic date, or just getting together with friends for dinner and drinks.  You can dress up or down!

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/18/2008

    It was cute, if cheesy in that girl's-night-out kind of way. We shared food (including some fantastic lamb chops and white anchovies on toasts) and a pitcher of Sangria (way too sweet).

    I arrived about an earlier than my friend and thought the bar was a good place to people watch and chat up some strangers.  

    While waiting  I ordered the Pan Con Tomate and had the bartender select a wine; I was perfectly pleased with both.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/28/2010

    I love tapas and my parents and I had tickets to a play at the Steppenwolf so we figured we would give it a try since it's near by. Let me tell you- that will most definitely not be the last time i go there.
    We started with their tomato bread and goat cheese in tomato sauce, both were incredible. For our main round we had their potato omelet which was garlicky and delicious, the spicy potatoes with aoli (don't let the name scare you, they aren't that spicy), their steak with horseradish sauce and the salad with beets and orange. Ok, the horseradish sauce was incredible, i want to bath in it and I'm not much of a salad girl but their salad was so fresh you could taste the juicy orange in every bite. Yum!
    As far as atmosphere it was fun, we sat outside and there was a big mix of people from families with little ones in high chairs to hipster girls that work around armitage to yuppie 30 somethings just getting off work. Really anyone can enjoy this restaurant, I also plan to go back for their special events such as flamenco night.
    And the best part? For the three of us to enjoy a bottle of wine and be so stuffed that we had to roll ourselves to the theater the bill totaled- be ready for this- $69.63!! For three people! enough said.

  • 2.0 star rating
    2/26/2009

    I have been here several times and willingly admit at one time Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was the best. Recently they have really fallen off the delicious wagon. It is a sad story. This last time I went (which inspired me to write this cautionary tale) the spicy potatoes and flank steak...YUM. The grilled squid, ham croquettes, goat cheese in spicy tomato sauce, paella, and the rest of the meal...SUB PAR at best. Stale bread, over cooked calamari, the rest flavorless and uninspiring.

    Until the ol' Cafe gets their focus back on quality and flavor and not on the ridiculous quantity of people they can pack in that place (and they do), I highly recommend you go to one of the other wonderful tapas places in the city.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/30/2013

    We chose this restaurant to host our wedding. It was AMAZING. I highly, highly recommend people consider this if they want to throw a great wedding at a reasonable price in the city. Here are just some of the things that made it such a great experience. First, their prices/minimums are sooo much more reasonable than other wedding sites - including no room rental fee (such a waste!). Second, the food is amazing - I was proud that my guests got to have such great food and drinks at my wedding. It was actually the food that first made us choose this place as I've been coming here for many years. Third, the service was exceptional. We had our contact Katie before the wedding who always replied back to us very quickly whenever we had questions or requests. She is so friendly and helpful and the venue was so accommodating - everything I wanted was met (not to say I had anything super crazy - but we brought in our own decorations and cake, they cut the cake for us, we got to choose how/when the food would be served, we were able to adjust their event menu options, etc); they even upgraded our beer options at no additional cost which was a super nice perk. Not only was Katie great but so were all our servers that night. Many people, including myself, noticed how attentive and friendly they were. I was so unbelievably pleased - they made me and my guests feel really special. Last extra bonus - I have a loyalty card with Lettuce Entertain You and I was able to add points from all the food/drink we bought for the event. It's a great extra - the program has lots of rewards but we went simple and got Lettuce Entertain "reward dollars" - we'll be having tons of free meals now!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/24/2008

    I LOVE TAPAS!

    I will never get tired of this place!! I usually get the same dishes too: the dates wrapped in bacon, goat cheese and marinara, roasted potatoes, olives, cheeses, garlic shrimp and of course sangria!

    This is a great place to come with a big group of people, or come on a romantical date and sit at the bar. I love sitting outside on the patio and last time I was there I glanced over at the table next to us and Jenna Fischer (Pam from The Office) was sitting right there! That made this place just a lil bit cooler!

    Even though it's a lettuce entertain you--- it doesn't feel corporate (definitely a plus!) Check this place out.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/19/2012
    1 check-in

    This place is awesome! I had heard great things about CBBR from clients of mine, and finally got a chance to check it out for myself tonight. Everything is small portioned so that you can order all different things and share them all. My husband and I had the goat cheese appetizers and the mushroom rice ones that were really good, especially if you're a goat cheese lover like me. For our tapas, we had bacon wrapped dates, calamari, goat cheese in tomato sauce, skewered chicken and chorizo sausage, and short ribs with mashed potatoes. Everything was delicious! The beef was so tender that you could cut it with your fork. We also had a banana, carmel type tapas for dessert that was amazing! The place is really nice inside and our server was great. He explained everything we needed to know about tapas style dining and gave great recommendations. I also had a glass of one of the many different types of sangrias that they offer. I only wish I didn't have work in the morning so I could have tried all of them. Oh well, next time :-)

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/26/2011
    2 check-ins

    Very solid tapas place. I come here when I'm nostalgic for my study abroad days in Sevilla, or whenever I feel like good Spanish food. Bacon-wrapped dates are delicious, as are all the pixtos (tiny tapas), the baked goat cheese, patatas bravas and all the desserts I've ever had there. The paella is good but not fantastic; I'd usually rather save the stomach space and money for more tapas. They have a million kinds of sangria but my favorite is still the classic red. Also, Licor 43 is a must-try! It's a vanilla cordial very popular in Spain and not that easy to find in the states. I've had really, really excellent service here and also just ok service. They have the space to accommodate large groups but be prepared to wait even with a reservation on a busy weekend night.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/22/2012

    I've had this restaurant saved in my bookmarks since last summer. So I was excited to finally try it. My sister and I had a 4:30 reservation through open table and we missed it because we were stuck in ridiculous traffic. So we finally made it and the hostess seated us right away and we were able to get patio seating even though we were an hour and a half late. I got a free Pintxos platter for my first check in on four square. my favorite the deviled egge with bacon and mustard. We ordered the rioja-braised short ribs, mashed potatoes, meatballs with sherry tomato sauce, and roasted chicken empanada. Still hungry cause we shared everything so we also ordered chicken paella. To drink we had a 1/2 pitcher of passion fruit sangria and next time we are getting the full pitcher cause it was delicious. The short ribs and mashed potatoes had a nice flavor very tender and a nice aroma. Mashed potatoes needed just a dash of salt. The empanada was tasty and the sauce on the side enhanced the flavor of the dish. The meatballs were great, hard to mess those up. I took 35 for the paella to cook and the chicken was tender and the veggies were fresh, and it had an amazing flavor.  Our server was pretty good and helpful. The decor was cute very old Spanish style. I love the fact that you aren't hot sitting on the patio because it's enclosed but you still get the patio feel. I loved it and I will definitely return.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/12/2011
    1 check-in

    My favorite tapas restaurant, try everything!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/30/2011

    I love this place. Great food and sensitive to people with allergies. The instant coupon through foursquare was just icing on the cake.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/9/2006

    Ba Ba Reeba is an inexpensive place for tapas.
    the usual Spanish fare but it is good especially with friends and service friendly.  

    Buen Provecho!

    • Qype User hoe…
    • Périgueux, France
    • 3 friends
    • 16 reviews
    5.0 star rating
    11/10/2012

    This place is awesome. Whether you go there for brunch or lunch or dinner you're not going to be disapointed. The tapas are really good and there's a pretty intense selection. make a reservation as although the place is big and sits a lot of people it more often than not packed.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/25/2009

    I may not be proud to say this out loud to somebody I don't know, but for sure, to anybody who really knows me well. "THANKS CHICAGO, I HAVE GAINED AT LEAST 10 POUNDS IN LESS THAN 5 DAYS."  I feel quite happy and fat.  

    Dinner this Thursday night with 2 other friends. We ordered 2 tapas per person, which were more than enough since we had a late afternoon cocktail hour with lots of snack.   We ordered the following (in order of my own preference):

    1. Garlic shrimp (delicious with lots of garlic. We finished up all the garlic oils with accompanying bread)
    2. Sea scallops with couscous and pine nuts (Mm mm, pine nuts with pesto sauce.)
    3. Rioja short ribs (melt-in-your-mouth tender. Just a tad bit salty for my liking. I did not taste manchego cheese in mashed potatoes that came with it)
    4. Crispy spicy potatoes (A must order for tapas for me. I love Patatas bravas but with less mayonnaisey sauce, but rather spicier zestier "crystal hot sauce-like" condiments)
    5. Short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper (bite side, from Pintxos menu. Tasty but Rioja short rib is better)
    6. Chicken and Chorizo kabobs (not bad, but just not memorable)
    7. Spicy pork kabobs (was kinda dry. kinda boring. could have been much better if it was served with some kind of sauce)

    We also ordered two desserts.  I liked them... mostly because they were small.  Almond sorbet and butterscotch thingy.

    Things that I wanted to order if I was still hungry:
    - bacon-wrapped dates
    - goat cheese croqueta
    - gazpacho

    The last time I was here was over 5 years ago when I lived in Michigan and I do not remember anything about what I had tried back then. I would not call this an authentic Spanish tapas, but quite tasty nonetheless and the company I had even better. And if it is even worth mentioning, much, much better tapas I had at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba than any of the places that I had tried in Bay Area.

    The corkage fee was $10, which is not bad AND I highly recommend that others should do, as I was not personally that excited about the wine list.

    Okay.... Where is the pair of sweat pants for the flight back when I need one?  Not that I am one of THOSE people who think it's okay to be seen outside with sweat pants.......

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/4/2010

    It's gotten to the point where we feel the need to eat here every week.
    If I lived in the city, I would be here all the time, but since it's a 30 minute hike, we try to go as often as possible (a couple times a month). Cafe-Ba-Ba-Reeba is awesome. The tapas always come out just right although the timing is a  little slow sometimes. We've at least liked everything we've tried, although there are, of course, things we LOVE on the menu.

    The patatas bravas, baked goat cheese, potatoes in garlic aioli, short rib pinxto, mushroom croquette, and grilled calamari are so freakin' amazing. We usually double up orders of these because we can't get enough. They have happy hour specials from 4-6 and the portions are slightly smaller, but you can hardly tell.

    It gets super-crowded after 6ish, but the hustle and bustle is worth it.

    Love, love, love it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/8/2008

    Cafe Ba-ba-reeba always has such high energy, and the ambience is great, so I was looking forward to my upcoming dinner here.  We made a reservation for 10 people on a Saturday night, and believe it or not they sat us immediately upon arrival - a small miracle considering how busy it was (although do make sure all members of your party are there or you're out of luck!).  

    The food was great, I always love the baked goat cheese, and the bacon wrapped dates are yummy!  Also really enjoyed the braised short ribs, and lots of others looked fabulous.  Plus, who doesn't love tiny desserts?  It's almost impossible to overindulge!!  But although tapas do make for a great time, it's almost better when there are only 3 or 4 in your group and everyone can share.  We ended up ordering 2 or 3 dishes per couple, so we didn't really get to diversify since each dish only feeds about 2 to 3.  But oh, the sangria!  My favorite part of the meal.  Passionfruit? Yep.  Classic Red?  Pour me another.  Peach?  Refill at table 54, por favor.  You just can't wrong with pitchers of these!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/28/2008

    Ahh, I love me some Cafe Babareeba!  Yes, I know it's not considered "authentic tapas", but whatever it is they serve, it's damn good for this girl!  I've been coming here for about almost 20 years now (good lord!) and it's one of my go-to places.  Did you know that my husband's flooring company installed the interesting sun pattern in the front entryway?  Just a bit a trivia - but I was coming here long before I met him!

    I remember so many interesting occasions here:  a date with a guy that I had been friends with for a while, and then for some reason we decided to take it to the next step.  We came here for dinner, and probably to ease the inevitable nerves, we did shots of some nasty shit called "43" (I think that's they name, although I was half on the floor after that!).  Can't remember too much about the rest of the evening, but I know it was quite a fun night!  And times out with my best gf's . . . and did I mention how much I absolutely love their escargot with aioli sauce tapa?  It's to die for, and I would seriously order it in volume if I was about to leave this earth (note to self: put it on profile!)

    The servers are nice, the atmosphere is fun, and the food is great - what else do you really need in life?

    (try some of their "43" - cuarenta y tres - and prepare to go crazy!)

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/5/2008

    Pricey? Yes. Delicious? Good. Service? Excellent.
    I went to cafe ba ba reeba to celebrate my promotion and may I say that I was very impressed by their service and the food!! The Tapas is really good!!!!!! A little on the pricey side but hey, its located in Lincoln Park, What do you expect? You get a good crowd, good food and excellent service- you can't really complain right?? Although I was nearly .... very.. shocked.. and a little buzzed after drink and looked at the check..I got over it quickly because I was very satisified about this restaurant.. I would definately go there again !!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/8/2011

    I LOVE this place! One of my favorite restaurants for tapas in Chicago. The food is AMAZING and the staff is friendly. Come in on the weekend and it's completely alive and energetic - so much fun! Make a reservation or call ahead for nighttime Fri/Sat dinner for sure. I really can't point on my favorite thing about the menu - the pinxos, tapas, paella, DESERTS! it's all SO GOOD! And the water guy fills up your water as soon as you take two drinks, so you're never thirsty.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/4/2009

    It would be hard to dislike Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  It and Cafe Iberico are the two best-known tapas places in Chicago, so they are often compared.  In the end, though, they're both great places.  I think the service at Ba-Ba-Reeba is slightly better, but then again their prices are at least slightly higher than Iberico.  It used to be that Ba-Ba-Reeba was nicer inside, but with Iberico's latest renovation, I think they're about equal these days.  

    Ba-Ba-Reeba does seem to offer more selection, and while I usually go to Iberico because it's only a block from my home, I still occasionally go to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba to get specific dishes I know they have (like pimientos fritos), or just for a change of pace.  

    One thing to be aware of with Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, is that it doesn't stay open very late for a tapas place.  If you're looking to be out past midnight, best to head to Iberico.

    I recommend it.

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/25/2010

    Another after-work tapas event with colleagues (refer to previous review of Cafe Iberico). Maybe it was just me, but after a longish cab ride to the restaurant, and a wait to be seated with our large(ish) party, the restaurant didn't live up to the hype. The sangria selections were inventive- in addition to the traditional white and red, Cafe had Blood Orange and Passion Fruit available by the pitcher. The passion fruit tasted a little like kool-aid but quickly worked its magic. As for the food, the definite stand-out was the spicy potato dish, followed closely by the bacon-wapped dates (can never go wrong with bacon). Meat dishes were hit or miss. The menu overall was extensive. Had I not come here with tapas experts, it would have taken me a bit to go through all of the offerings. Even for a weeknight, the place was packed. While the ambiance is conducive for large groups, I would not recommend it for overly corporate events, as things tend to get a bit animated (raucous?) in the main dining area as the evening wears on. A good place to go once, if only to say 'I've been here' and check it off your list of Chicago dining experiences.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/28/2010

    Now I normally do not eat a tapas places, but I read the reviews and I had to try it.
    Sangria is great, staff is nice.  Friendly environment, fun, loud and colorful. Looooots of """""high class"""" people that want to hang out there...
    Prices are expensive for what you get and yes, I understand that its tapas, but personally its not my thing. Scallops were great.... but 3 for 8.99 come on... Octopus was good and probably the largest portion, #67 if i could remember was the Shrimp... Amazing. The only dislike in the food was the cheese platter and I absolutely love cheese.  Let be serious, I walked out ("dinner" / tapas for two) with a bill of $90. and some odd change, still hungry.  As I said, personally not my cup of tea.

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  • 3.0 star rating
    1/26/2010

    Most of the food was fairly tasty, the only real problem was that they made Patatas Bravas with some sort of gross mayonnaise instead of the proper sauce.

    As far as service goes our waitress was nothing special but not horrible, except for the fact that she seemed to think her customers were idiots. She repeatedly tried to explain everything about the food and what Tapas was after we told her we had a great deal of experience with this particular form of cuisine.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/14/2011

    Came here as an invitee thinking it was going to be a middle eastern fare. My friends flamenco instructor was performing that night. That part was awesome! There was a short guy that was performing. Gives me hope. ;)
    Onto the food. The waiter seemed lacking in confidence about the menu and what to recommend. But he poured way too much wine into the glass. Tsk tsk.... That's a no no especially with the type of glasses that were used. I had to tell him to stop at a certain point. Swirling is not for show aesthetics or being snobbish. It's to help identify the different aromas of the wine and also a way of aerating it to open it up. Anyways that's always a pet peeve of mine. More waiters must be educated on wine etiquette.
    The patatas bravas was ok. The patatas con alioli was a little under boiled for the potatoes... The hanging beef and chicken were way too overcooked... The chicken and chorizo paella was actually very good. Well flavored. The citrus seared salmon was very good. You can hardly go wrong with salmon though.. If you do you should really reconsider being in the restaurant business..
    The simplest dish happened to be my favorite and that was the grilled chili pepper topped with Mediterranean sea salt. Yum!! Another idea to steal for a party! Anyhow the dessert I wasn't too crazy about but not worth complaining about. I don't think I would be back anytime soon..

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/30/2008

    We came here at 3:30 on a sunny, Saturday and sat outside. This is a great time to go to a place like this because we got a table right away and it seemed that at about 4:30 it starts to fill up.

    The peach sangria was perfectly refreshing with just a subtle peach flavor. It was perfect for a hot, sunny day. Even my husband liked it (and ordered a pitcher) and he doesn't even like sangria.
    Food was very good. I had the white gazpacho special. Wow, that was really good and different.....it had almond paste, cucumber and peaches in it and was garnished with a little crab meat - so good!
    The eggplant with goat cheese was awesome and so are the dates wrapped in bacon. I'm still thinking about the eggplant actually.
    I really enjoyed everything we ordered and the atmosphere is really welcoming. Service was great, too.

    We just had the flan for dessert...pretty tasty. Probably could have ordered more dessert....they were small, as they should be, I guess, since this is a tapas place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/16/2008

    At first I wasn't sure I wanted to come here because it only has a collective 3 and a half stars here and I put a lot of trust in what Yelp has to say. But someone in my party of four had heard from a friend they trust that this place was good, so we went. And I've got to say, sometimes you just have to try places even if Yelp doesn't give them 5 stars because, get ready, sometimes everyone's perceptions and opinions aren't the same! Shocking I know!

    I loved Cafe Ba Ba Reeba! And so did my whole party! It wasn't dirty at all like some said, and the service was great! We were sitting in what we thought was a bit of a draft and we asked to move, even though it was pretty busy, and without a single roll of the eye, we were moved to a warmer area. Our server was very friendly and helpful, and that was much appreciated since none of us had been before.

    Now on to the best part, the food and drinks!!

    Drinks: We had to have the sangria of course! But here's the thing, my hubby and I are one of few who don't like wine. But we really liked the sangria! We had half pitchers of the peach and black raspberry. I personally liked the black raspberry better but both were yummy. Just so you know how much you are going to need to get tipsy, the half pitcher filled up all our cups (party of 4) and with about a cup and a half left to split among us. Two pitchers were good for us, we didn't want to fill up too much on liquids!

    It's Tapa Time:  
    Now I can only speak for myself because I couldn't try all the meaty tapas but by mmm's and ohh wow's that all my dining party was cooing on about, it seems the meat tapas were a hit too. The portion size was very nice, you could easily share with three other people and still have a couple of bites to yourself. They came out quick and were paced nicely.

    Cold Tapas: I had the green beans, roasted tomatoes and shallots. And it was excellent, the beans were crisp and everything was well flavored. I also had the asparagus with grilled red onions and red pepper. The red onions and peppers were really good but the asparagus lacked flavor, although cooked to just the right crispness.

    Hot Tapas: This isn't really a tapa but we had this wonderfully tasty soup that was carrot and orange I think..but don't worry it doesn't really taste super orangey, it had almost an Indian flavor to it. SO good! We also had fried green peppers and course salt. It was very good but know that it is spicy! And speaking of spicy, I also had the spicy potatoes with tomato alioli sauce. Ohhhh my oh my! This was my favorite savory dish!  It was sort of spicy but not so spicy that I stopped popping those spuds in my mouth. And the great part was that it was literally a mountain of potatoes and it was plenty to share and still have tons left for me!

    Now onto my favorite part of any meal...the sweet stuff!

    Dessert Tapas: We all split three desserts and if I had my way, I would have had one all to myself they were so good! We had the truffle chocolate cake, apple crisp, and the almond caramel tart. I have to say that the caramel tart was my favorite but the chocolate cake was a very close second, my guests liked the cake best though. They are small servings and a bit cheaper than the other tapas, so make sure to order a couple! Save room because I feel like these tapas were the highlight of the dining experience!

    All in all, a great place to go, especially if you love variety in your meal. A really fun experience and a great place to take out of towners and family. If you go with friends, just make sure you share nicely and be careful, it's easy to get carried away ordering lots of plates in a group, make sure you set a price or plate limit before you go in! :0) On the flip side, it can be a pretty cheap meal if it's just two of you because you can watch what you order easily. Ok, enough reading about it! Turn off your computer and head on over to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba! There are pitchers of sangria calling your name!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/9/2011

    Best Tapas in Chicago hands down. Always happy when I leave there

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/27/2009

    This place was saved by the food.

    I just graduated college not too long ago, but the vibe totally reminded me of a thirsty thursday evening. Douche bags wearing stripe shirts and sluts with their pals hanging out. I was also not pleased that our reservation was pushed back.

    Food is really good and price is fine. However, if we order a pitcher of Sangria we want a pitcher worth not a half. That was some shit we only got half a pitcher on our second round not cool.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/17/2010
    4 check-ins

    I've been to Ba-Ba-Reeba a few times and loved it every time, so it's about time I wrote a review!  I came here this weekend with a friend that I studied abroad with in Spain, so we were in the mood for some good Spanish fare.  On our last outing to a different Spanish place, we had some pretty horrible and completely inauthentic paella, so we were relieved when we tasted it here.  A little crunchy, full of olive oil and flavor, and just the right saffron color.  We also sampled the manchego (mmm, manchego) and spinach stuffed mushrooms, which were fantastic.  The special sangria of the day was a mango sangria, which was also quite tasty.  My personal favorite is the goat cheese and tomato sauce, which I didn't get this time.  I will definitely continue to consider this my favorite Spanish place in the city until proven otherwise.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/28/2012

    I really liked this place. It was fun, the food was interesting and the variety was big. We were a group of about 15 people, we all ordered a few dishes, and tried off each other. I would recommend for bonding and meeting new people if you are into sharing. The Palleya was really good.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/23/2008
    4 check-ins

    More like 3.5
    Look, I know it's a Lettuce restaurant, but I won't slight it for that. It is a GREAT local for a group dinner. About 6 of us went there for a bday dinner and everyone left stuffed and happy. Including the birthday girls' mom. While I think the "small plates" thing is kind of over, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has been doing it for a while and does it right. Great sangria, and I think once the bill came we each owed about $25.00. Perfect.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/16/2008

    I didn't think that Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba really had anything new to offer for tapas.  Each dish we tried was just "okay", nothing was really memorable.  However, the peach sangria was delicious and refreshing.  

    The outdoor patio was pretty charming and our waitress was very nice and helpful.  Overall, it wasn't bad but also not amazing.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/17/2009

    Holy people, Batman! This places gets BUSY for dinner. We have ordered almost every tapa on the menu plus the paella. The octopus is overcooked and chewy. The fillet with blue cheese was rare and mmmm good. The chicken curry salad was good. Almost everything was good. The sangria flavors are also good, my favorite was peach.

    They take reservations, but we still had to wait an hour to sit. Luckily, my friend sangria showed up early.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/16/2012
    1 check-in

    always amazing for brunch. absolutely everything is delicious! an easy place to impress visitors with, too, as there's something for everyone on the menu. the staff are always fantastic, as well.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/13/2009
    1 check-in

    I met up with some friends here on a Saturday night at 730pm.  It was very crowded, we didn't have a reservation, and we were told it would be an hour.  We waited near the bar for over an hour, and continually was told it would be another 15 minutes.  This went on until 945 when we were finally seated.  So yes, we waited for over 2 hours.  You may be wondering why I am giving 4 stars, but I will get there in a minute...

    My friends and I ordered the red sangria, which was very good, and reasonably priced (I think around $18).  For tapas we ordered the calamari, squid, spicy potatoes, the short rib, goat cheese, and a couple other dishes that apparently weren't very memorable.  

    The spicy potatoes and short ribs were unbelievable.  Next time I visit, I will definitely be having both again, maybe two orders of the short ribs.  

    While we were enjoying our food, the manager came over and profusely apologized for botching our wait time.  He gave us his card and assured us it would never happen again, and that we could contact him directly for our next reservation.  I was impressed by this, because my friends and I never complained to anyone, we simply asked the hostess a few times how much longer it would be until we could get seated.

    At the end of the meal... we open up the bill, and it was FREE.  The whole meal, including the sangria!  Because the food was so good, and the fact that the manager/hostess knew enough that we had gotten screwed on our table, and they fixed it without a single complaint, I am DEFINITELY going back (I think I'll make a reservation this time though...)  

    Next time I go I'll update the review again, and assume I will be able to give it 5 stars.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/6/2010

    The price is right and the food is great!

    no disappointment!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/4/2010

    My last visit was about ten years ago and so happy to come back to such good food.  I live in the OC but visit Chicago regularly so we all agreed on tapas.  between the four of us we had 12 plates and a pitcher of sangria...delish!!  I luv the tortilla espanola, rioja short ribs, citrus cured salmon..so good!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/20/2009

    Great place. Reasonably priced. Great for groups of people. The tapas are great..was better before they changed their menu a few years back.

    Still a great place for groups to go. Great atmosphere and friendly staff.

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/14/2008

    I honestly thought that Trixie stuff was an exaggeration. I was dead wrong, but if I never set foot in Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba again, I'll be able to avoid the worst of it which means that everybody wins!

    One of my dining companions made a fascinating observation about the waitstaff. Service here is really good, fast and friendly, but there's some subtle (and totally understandable) passive-aggressive behavior going on: The waiters like to direct sangria-sloshed stiletto-wearing drunkorexic loudmouths to the bathroom that's at the bottom of a rather steep flight of poorly-lit stairs, rather than the one that's right next to the table where the eight blondes with identical caramel lowlights are sitting. I watched half a dozen girls (one wearing a tiara and sequined "Bride-to-be!" sash) gingerly navigate the stairs and thrilled with pride when I was pointed to the convenient bathroom, which was totally empty. Maybe the downstairs bathroom has TVs in every stall showing Sex and the City reruns...

    The food was Lettuce Entertain You-quality: inoffensive, surprisingly authentic-tasting in an obviously faux kind of way (Passionfruit sangria? Bitch, please.) and pretty freaking expensive. The people-watching is, obviously, transcendent, especially halfway into that second pitcher of sangria. But if I'm going to eat tapas in Chicago while surrounded by representatives of a much-maligned stereotype of young urban whiteys, I'm going to go to People in Wicker Park, where the much-maligned whiteys are MY PEOPLE and the sangria is stronger AND cheaper.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/13/2008

    My opinion of this place might be a bit skewed because the night we came here, my fiance was stuck in traffic on his way home from work so I found myself stuck in the Ba-ba-reeba bar tossing back sangria with some random chicks celebrating a birthday.  So by the time he walked in the door, I was already a smidge tipsy.  

    That being said, I made the following observations:
    --reservations are a must
    --order the pitcher of sangria with dinner!
    --great party atmosphere
    --friendly servers

    We asked our server for tapas recommendations and everything that was brought to the table was very good.  The large amounts of sangria may have had a hand in upping my opinion of the food but even my fiance enjoyed it and he hadn't had nearly as much to drink as I did.  

    Our ultimate opinion of this place was that it was very good, although a little pricey and very, very crowded.  I wouldn't be opposed to coming here again but there are so many other tapas bars out there that I'd probably be more interested in trying the ones I haven't been to than coming to the same one again and again.  

    Does that make me a tapas slut?  Maybe a little bit.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/14/2008

    I've been coming here since it opened and have never had a bad meal.  As a matter of fact have had some outstanding and definitely good meals here. And I've had alot of fun too.  And a lot of Sangria.  This was a tapas bar before tapas became trendy and they seem to have used the Lettuce formula for success here too, great food and decent prices in a fun atmosphere.

    I feel immediately festive the moment I walk in the door and I love the patio seating in the summer.  This is great for groups who are into sharing and a wonderful place for special occaisions.  Its loud and boisterous as a proper tapas bar should be.  Their Paella is remarkable.  The service is generally attentive and savvy however, there have been a few tragic occaisions where it was less than stellar.

    Not a place to go if you are looking for a "chill" or sedate environment but a great place to go when you want high energy, fun.   Reservations are usually accommodated within a reasonable time frame, say twenty minutes, but then again, the wait at the bar is usually a highlight of the evening.  The bartenders here are outstanding and pour some mean cocktails!  They are fast and relatively entertaining.

    Love the music, love the atmosphere and food is wonderfully traditional Spanish tapas style and the Sangria, well it soothes my soul.  The only down side is the hit or miss service which is usually more of a hit, but sadly, sometimes it misses.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/26/2011

    Well... tried Damn near everything and most of it was okay. It was a fun quasi fancy Spanish place that made me feel "trendy". I wasn't lifting up the table with my lap over the food, but it was different and new and I wanted to experience fine things. What was amazing was the free flan they gave us at the end. I'm a fan of their flan.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/30/2009

    I had never eaten tapas before and was taken here as part of a group outing.  

    Rarely have I been so blown away by a place that I did not expect anything out of.  We had a total of five people which allowed us to try a large amount of menu items as well as the white peach and black raspberry sangria...both great and surprisingly strong.

    The highlights of the meal included the bacon wrapped dates and the spicy potatos...at least two orders of each that were promptly finished.  I also tried both sirloin steak dishes and both were great.

    Everything came out in a timely fashion and service was friendly and helpful the entire time.  For as much food and booze as we had, the meal was surprisingly inexpensive...maybe $30 per person for food, drinks and tip.

    It is very safe to say that I will be back soon.

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/2/2011
    3 check-ins

    I think I expected more because of everyone else's rave reviews. Loved the spicy potatoes, but nothing else was too terribly memorable for me. I felt like the portion sizes were very small, because I had to eat a lot to get full and there were only 4 of us dining together. My White Peach Sangria also seemed to be watered down. I would give Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba another try though, because the service was good and I enjoyed the atmosphere. Next time I want to be wowed.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/9/2012

    White sangria was very sweet and WEAK. Food was adequate. Service was very good. They were accommodating with one of us with food allergies.

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/30/2008

    The only reason I was intrigued by this place was because a friend of mine worked at Ba-Ba-Reeba in Barcelona and took me there on her day off.  I checked if they were run by the same group, but they're not.  I guess the food shows for it.  If both Chicago and Barcelona are connected by any chance, then the recipe must have been lost in translation.  

    First of all, our waiter seemed totally miserable.  I wish I could have written him a Rx for Zoloft.  

    I sampled the grilled squid, roast eggplant salad, roast dates wrapped bacon, chicken empanada, and tuna w/ tomato.  The grilled squid was flavorless.  Dates wrapped in bacon were plentiful but didn't have the wow factor I was looking for.  The Tuna was the biggest joke ever, it was canned tuna topped with a thick slice of tomato.  The only dish that I somewhat enjoyed was the eggplant salad.  I thought the sangria would be watered down to the point of box juice, but I could taste the red wine so that was a plus.  

    Between the depressed waiter and the laughable tuna, I don't think I can go back to Bad-Bad-Reeba.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/15/2011

    The tapas are OK, but not great.  Chicago is sadly lacking a good tapas place.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/6/2010
    1 check-in

    4.5 stars, only because I can't rate it quite as high as Cafe Iberico.
    I came here the other day with a friend for the first time, and I was surprised that we were seated immediately at 9 on a Saturday night. 10 points for Griffindor! I liked the decor; it seemed like we were outside without having to actually bear the snow and 30 degree weather. Like most tapas bars, it was quite loud so we had difficulty hearing each other, but eh, it goes with the territory.
    We ordered the goat cheese, garlic shrimp, olives, and steak and asparagus. Out of them, the shrimp was the standout by far. I'm not even a huge fan of shrimp, but they were delicious. Garlicky, spicy, and lemony. Simple but yummy. The others were alright, but Cafe Iberico's versions of them are definitely better.
    And finally, the dish that made me want to give the restaurant 5 stars. Tres leches cake with dulce de leche. It was magic. Probably one of the best desserts I've ever eaten.  It was creamy and caramely and I am almost drooling remembering it. ORDER IT.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/23/2012

    What can I say?  Yummy on top of delicious yummy.  We arrived at 5:30 and were able to sit on the patio.  Because of a first check-in on Four Square we received a free pintxos platter.  Very good.  We shared a 1/2 pitcher of passion fruit sangria.  I think we could have drunk 2 pitchers, it was so refreshing and smooth.  For dinner, we had chicken paella, rioja braised short ribs with mash potatoes, meatballs, and chicken empanadas.    Good, good, and good!  I've eaten at other tapas restaurants here and in Atlanta and this was the best I've had so far.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/15/2008

    Best Tapas I have had in the city, everything was cooked to perfection and even the braised lamb was excellent which I typically don't like.  Wait staff was very attentive and helpful.  The bacon wrapped dates could be a dessert dish!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/5/2011

    I really like this restaurant.  I have been there twice and had an excellent experience both times.  Service was great and the food was great.  I love their seafood paella and didn't order anything that I didn't like.  The waitress brought us out a dessert tray for my birthday and the little selection of tiny desserts was fantastic.  I will definitely be back.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/8/2008

    I like this place.  A casual atmosphere but not too informal, generous portions, very quick and attentive service and tons of great stuff to try on the menu.  We were there on Valentine's Day so given how busy it was, I cannot stress enough how good the service was.

    However, of the 6-7 tapas plates we tried I have to say 2 were fantastic, 2 were good, and the rest were only middling.  Oddly the best plate was also the most disappointing: The beef tenderloin with blue cheese came out with one of the two pieces cooked to rare-medium-rare perfection while the second piece was overcooked to the point that it was inedible.  A big disappointment.

    The wine list is decent with lots of affordable Spanish wines to sample.

    Given the service, atmosphere and variety I think it's a good place and will probably be back to try out the paella.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/19/2010

    Food was delicious, service was great, basically got right in with our reservations. Not as intimate as I was expecting and pretty loud in there so plan on speaking up. I'd definitely go back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/18/2009

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has been my annual Easter Brunch spot since I moved to Chicago.  

    The tapas menu is delightfully mixed with hot and cold, sea and land creatures and even some vegetarian (for those so inclined).  The sangria is bright and cheerful (I recommend the classic red).  Highlights:  Goat Cheese Dip, BACON WRAPPED DATES, Fried Calamari and any everything else.  

    The paella is excellent (generally).  It runs the risk of being bland sometimes, but I would never tell someone who's never had it to skip it.  The catch is it takes a while to order it and the real problem can arise when you order the paella at the start of the meal and forget about it...then continue to order tapas.  When the paella does show up, everyone's too full eat it!  

    The atmosphere is charming and interesting.  Kind of a cross between a hacienda and carnival tent.  It looks like exactly what you think it should with a name like Cafe-Ba-Ba-Reeba.  Meals can get a bit expensive there with a large group and a varied taste palette, but the experience in my book is well worth it.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/8/2008

    I have been here twice: once with a HUGE group (I'm talking 20 people here) and once with two people (we sat at the bar). Fabulous both times. While tapas is better with a big group (because you get to try more dishes), it's great with only a few people too. The decor is great, the staff friendly, and the sangria will knock you on your ass if you're not careful.

    Case in point this past Saturday night:
    We split a pitcher of Peach sangria between three people. One insists that they gave us juice and there was not enough alcohol in it. Three glasses later we were glad we didn't drive.

    I've been here in both summer and winter, and it has its appeals in all seasons. Coming in from the snow, it made me forget that I'd just been freezing my a** off, and brought me back to the summers I lived in Europe during my early teens.

    Each tapas dish averages at about $7, and I would say order one dish for each person you have there, plus a "side" kind of dish, and a dessert. Vegetarian? Try the stuffed mushrooms. Not vegetarian? Try the stuffed mushrooms AND the blue cheese steak.

    I'm salivating just thinking about it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/6/2009

    This was the first "nice" restaurant I have been to in a long time, and maybe it was the company, but I really enjoyed myself. It is much larger than it looks with 3-4 big banquet halls sized rooms to fit many people. The only thing I didn't like is that they don't like half your party come and sit down before everyone arrives. My girlfriend and I got there 10 minutes before my friends and we had to stand in the hallway. We were sat in the back when our group arrived and downed some Sangria. Now, I appreciate my drinks strong, and though these weren't TOO strong, still delicious. The tapas were also very good, with a wide array of different flavors and meats. The empanadas are to die for.

    Def a place I would go again.. when I get a job, that is.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/24/2008

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was pretty good!  I decided to go with the tapas while my bf got the pork tenderloin.  I ordered the grilled squid, salmon with couscous, grilled chicken w/ chorizo, and goat cheese of course.  I liked everything except for the chicken and chorizo, which was a chef's recommendation.  It wasn't anything special, oh, and I've also had better goat cheese.  But the squid and the salmon were excellent!!  I loved the couscous...I can probably eat a whole bowl of it!  The pork tenderloin arrived in a skewer and it was very tender and tasty.  I wish I could have tried their paella, but that would have been too much food.  No worries, I shall return!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/6/2011

    I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm in love with this place. I've been here a few times, and last night I brought 3 of my roommates who are new to the city. We stuffed ourselves with amazing food and it was so delicious. Always great and it's something different! Highly, HIGHLY recommend this place! Not to mention that the staff is always right on point!

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/16/2008

    Big rooms, extremely busy vibe and a systematic approach to tapas.  Throughout dinner I couldn't help but feel I was a just a cog in a successful restaurateur's business plan. Cafe Ba Ba Reeba has decent food, okay service and average atmosphere.  

    At least I wasn't the guy who decided it merited limo rental for pick up (tip to that guy: next time you wanna feel like a hot shot, spare the limo and take a taxi to a nicer place).

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/24/2012

    Everything here is delectable!  You must try their bacon rapped dates and the spicy potatoes!  The Paella is also awesome!!!  The service is always quick and polite.  Their sangria is very refreshing.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/10/2011
    3 check-ins

    CBBR was pretty good, but it is far from authentic Tapas, hence why only 4 stars. This was my first time to Ba Ba Reeba, and i was under the impression that it was small and intimate, but it is actually quite large. We had a reservation at 8.30pm and were promptly seated after we checked in.

    We decided to start off with some Sangria. We went with a white peach sangria. It was tasty. The prices for Sangria are around $7 a glass, $14 for a 1/2 pitcher (serves 3 glasses) and $20 for a pitcher (serves 6 glasses). We went with the 1/2 pitcher, which for the 2 of us was fine.

    IF YOU CHECK IN ON YELP YOU GET A FREE PINTXOS PLATTER WORTH $8.50. Can't beat that. So I checked in on Yelp and got that. It was really good and gives you a good idea of all the different tapas. But the Pintxos is essentially 1 bite Tapas, so there were 6 bite size Tapas. We split each in half, but this would not be good for a group.

    Also if you join CBBR's text club, they will text you deals for free Tapas.

    We then ordered the following tapas

    1. Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce. Highly Recommend that.

    2. Beef Empanadas. Kind of tastes like a croissant with beef filing. I thought it would come with more than 1, but it only came with one. Still pretty good.

    3. Braised lamb in Couscous. If was kind of like a lamb stew. If you are into lamb, then you would probably like this. if you don't like lamb, then probably not

    4. Bacon Wrapped Dates. Delicious. You have to get these.

    For Dessert, we got

    5. Caramelized Banana with ice cream. Delicious. Only thing is that the desserts are tapas style so they are really small. But maybe as Americans we are accustomed to large desserts.

    6. Chocolate Truffle. Delicious.

    Our total bill was $52 before tip, which is reasonable.

    Overall the food was good, just not sure if CBBR lived up to the hype.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/24/2012

    I have only been here for brunch recently but have really liked it both times. They have a wonderful bloody mary bar that includes your choice of about a dozen premium vodkas, choice of 3 tomato juices of varying spice, and then all kinds of stuff like shrimp/celery/spicy meat/veggies. Much better than other breakfast places. The brunch is tapas style and they have a number of wonderful options including sides of silver dollar sized tiny pancakes on a skewer. Many of the tapas are pretty rich and filling so I would suggest ordering in waves rather than loading up out of the gate.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • Start your review of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!.

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  • 4.0 star rating
    3/11/2008

    I was here for the first time last weekend with two friends and I really enjoyed it! I definitely recommend reservations, by the time we left the wait time was up to 2 hours! The food was really good, really, really good. A few favorites were the spicy potatoes served with a delish aioli(sp?) and also the beef tenderloin withe blue cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Oh and how could I forget, the sangria was really good as well, we just had the basic red.

    Service was good, but my one gripe would be that several of our small plates came out all at once and I prefer to have them come separately or 2 at a time. Other than that, it was great...and as for the post below me, I definitely did not get any wiffs or smells that signaled a 4 AM burrito spot and I have quite the nose.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/16/2011

    Never disappointed in the food or the service! A must for tapas! Expect a wait and a crowd! In fact it gets too crowded and hot at the bar. That doesn't stop any of us from returning, however. You must get the steak and blue cheese!

  • 2.0 star rating
    6/12/2009

    I went to Cafe ba-ba-reeba when i discovered it, lost in the rain. I wandered in with high hopes, as many people had recommended me the cafe. As with most Spanish food outside of Spain, I was sorely dissapointed. It was greasy and uninspired.

    Two good points- the decor and also the music (lots of Ojos de Brujo)

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/30/2009

    Festive, fun and yum!

    Favorite things:
    The atmosphere
    The sangria
    The baked tomato and goat cheese
    the cold potato salad
    the meatballs

    Actually, I think I like everything.

    It's great for groups, or couples and the food comes out quick and it just keeps on coming.

    The prices are great and you can get full quick.

    Love this place for group birthday dinners too.

    Good mini deserts.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/30/2008

    It's good, i'm not gonna lie.  But it is very americanized!

    I'll have to admit that the Sangria is very good.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/10/2009

    I love Tapas. And I especially love the tapas at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.

    I like the atmosphere. It can feel a little crowded depending on where int he restaurant you sit but the tiered seating and open space give it a party like atmosphere.

    Their drinks are a little on the expensive side but to be expected at a lettuce entertain you restaurant.

    The menu has a number of real winners.
    You definitely want to try the goat cheese in tomato sauce. Creamy and delicious comes with really delicious toasted bread.

    The curry chicken salad with Grapes is a also a must try.

    The Short Rib with mashed potatos is also just incredible.

    I love the grilled octopus too.

    Can you tell I like this place.

    The one menu item I would avoid would be the spicy potatos. They are very good, not great. But they are too much and take up too much space in your stomach that should be occupied with other delicious foods.

    The now have daily amous bouche that I would highly reccomend. Not everyone we've tried have been perfect but some are down right perfect.

    Amanda and I both really enjoyed the shrimp with egg salad. I know it sounds weird but it is really good.

    They also have delicious Paella. But unless you're in a large group I would go with tapas.

    Anything that sounds good to you probably is but the goatcheese, curry chicken, short rib and octopus are my go to dishes and I've had them more times than i care to recount.

    I'm always in the mood for Ba-Ba-Reeba because they have a large enough variety to fit my every mood.

    You can't go wrong. You should go.

    P.S.
    This is a great place to go with a big group and big loud groups will fit right in.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/30/2008

    This place gets super packed!!! Therefore, I suggest making reservations here. It's a good thing I did. After getting past the hectic-ness of the front door, you can appreciate its upbeat ambiance and prompt service. The peach sangria was light but did the trick.....we ended up ordering the following (2 tapas each is plenty of food!!!)

    1)chicken & ham croquettes (they're kinda like mozzarella sticks except filled with chicken and ham. Decent)
    2)goat cheese baked in tomato sauce ( definitely the most filling)
    3)meatballs with sherry tomato sauce (we dipped them in goat cheese. Yum!)
    4)citrus cured salmon, cucumber bread (good way to cleanse the palate after eating "saucy stuff")

  • 2.0 star rating
    11/21/2010
    1 check-in

    I like the atmosphere and the neighborhood but not crazy about the food. I wish I could have given it a 2 1/2 star but really, this place is overrated.

    I've been a few times now and the one word sums up these tapas: GREASY.  Of course, greasy can be good and the food is good---- just not great or something to go out of your way for. Come to Cafe Ba-ba-Reeba for a few of the classic Spanish tapas:  sangria, wine, baked goat cheese and marinara (always a must) , great cheese selection, bacon-wrapped dates, olives, etc.  

    Unfortunately I find most other things fried, or sautéed with an oppressive, heavy-hand of olive oil.  Example 1, octopus & potato a la plancha: potatoes were fried and the peppers and octopus were swimming in olive oil.  Octopus is such a delicate protein, all of the oil masked masked the fresh flavor I was seeking!  The only notable thing about it was that they actually cooked the octopus correctly--- too bad they ruined it with too much oil. Example 2, fried green peppers & coarse salt:  one of my favorite tapas to order wherever I go---- except once again, here they are swimming in oil. Put a paper towel under those things after your fry them or something!  It IS possible to fry things w/o excessive grease.  Example 3: prime sirloin, asparagus, shitakes & yukon potatoes.  Again, ENOUGH WITH THE OLIVE OIL POOLS AND PUDDLES OF BUTTER!!!!! The meat was ok but the veggies were doused in fat. So sad!

    With of of this said, I do come back quite often. I love coming with friends because laughing, with a glass of great red wine in hand, beside a table of cheese makes for a perfect night.  Hopefully the chefs in back take a hint and ease up on the EVO and punch up the spices instead.  Anyway, great place to hang with friends and nibble but I'm still on the lookout for a better casual tapas spot.  

    if you want tapas to write home about, make the trip to Mercat a la Planxa.  Def a more upscale vibe but it does not disappoint.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/6/2011

    This place has great energy and offers a really nice variety of items for everyone - however being a vegetarian, I would love to see just a few more options for us... but overall, really nice food, atmosphere, sangria and energy in general.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/9/2012

    really liked this place, the tapas were delicious, although the escargot was too salty, the seafood paella was delicious, as was the sangria. loved the bacon wrapped dates.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/27/2011

    I walk by this place once in a while and it always smells delicious.  They cook their paella outdoors and it always looks so good!  I had to try the restaurant after all the great things I heard (and smelled).

    The tapas here are really tasty and diverse.  I also liked the sangria pitchers we got.  Service was pretty friendly but busy.  The crowd was casual and of all ages.  Perfect for good conversations over good food with friends!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/6/2008
    1 check-in
    Listed in Top Restaurants

    I know this place has some lovers and haters, but coming from someone who's had a few experiences with Spanish tapas, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is still my favorite. I've come here numerous times with groups (I don't think this is a place to eat with less than 4 people), and every time, the group has been MORE than satisfied. I love the overall quality and variety.

    The dates, of course are amazing, but I also like the chicken paella as well as the meat skewers (so fun to have at the table).

    This will remain my go-to place for groups who love food, love to share and are looking for a good time.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/10/2008

    Ba Ba Reeba is a great place for a large group, but reservations are a must!  It was completely jammed on Saturday night and we had to wait a little while even though we had reservations.  Our server was attentive and made suggestions.  I fell madly in love with his recommended Passionfruit Sangria.  

    Ba Ba Reeba seems to be a little more consistent with their tapas than other joints in town.  The marinara goat cheese was so good we had to order a second order.  Also delicious were the grilled squid, scallops, and bacon wrapped dates.  The patatas bravas were a little over done.  

    I think I'm going to dream about that passionfruit sangria.  Can't wait for summer when I can drink it outside.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/25/2011

    This tapas place is one of a few really good ones in the Chicago area. One of my favorite items on this menu are the sangrias which are infused with vodkas and give them a nice little kick. The tortilla espaniola is delicious from the cold side and the goat cheese warm appetizer is great. They offer a nice assortment of paella, but nothingq too exciting on their, maybe I am comparing it to the authentic thing from Spain, but still not what I want, the caramelized texture that I am looking for. Worth a try.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/25/2011

    We had a fun time at Cafe B-Ba-Reeba! The food, atmosphere, prices, and service were great.

    Our waiter, Carl was fantastic. He was the sweetest, most attentive waiter. He gave us recommendations, took his time, and seemed very genuine. We really liked him.

    We started with the Pintxos Platter and loved them all minus the cheese and quince one. The short rib was AMAZING! I loved that it came with mashed potatoes. The seafood paella, the octopus dish, and chicken empanada were also delicious.

    I have to say, I am impressed with the quality of the food given the fact that it is super busy and tapas just keep rolling out. I didn't think the sangria was that great but it was alright. We had a small dessert as well that was perfect in size and was very tasty. Great way to end the meal.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/18/2009

    Really a fan of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.

    Used to go here all the time and can't say much more than its a must-visit. The atmosphere is fun and its welcoming to a one-on-one or a group outing.  In my experience, all of the staff have been great and the menu has something for just about anybody.

    My recommendations would be the skirt steak, the spicy potatoes, and definitely get a pitcher of sangria (if you don't--you missed half of the reason to go here). Prices are also very reasonably and two people can eat and drink very well for under $100.

    Tougher part of the deal is finding parking sometimes. So if you make reservations and are like me and only use valet in case of emergency , give yourself an extra 10 minutes to find a park and walk a few blocks. Unless, of course, you habitually valet--or are on a 1st date already trying too hard to impress ("Find a park?? No dear, I only valet--now pass the Grey Poupon.").

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/21/2011

    Delicious and tapas style. Came here two weeks ago for a friend's birthday. We were a group of 8 and ordered almost everything on the menu including 3 pitchers of sangria. Not overpriced at all and every single thing we ate was amazing. If I had to suggest just a few things: the scallops, mushrooms, spicy potatoes, and eggplant salad.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/19/2012

    The sangria here was good, but the tapas themselves were just ok. The place had a fun atmosphere and it was nice that we got in on a Friday night without a reservation. The service was also good. The reason for the 3 stars  is that the tapas could be better, but it was affordable and I may try it again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/20/2011

    Hands down, best tapas.  Service was a bit strange - the staff kept trying to take plates away faster than we were done.  Sangrias were delicious.  I'd go back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/9/2012

    The best tapas I've ever had - and that includes two trips to Spain itself

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/1/2008

    The husband and I are both fans of BaBaReeba (though I personally prefer Arco De Cuchilleros on Halsted), and visit them at least once every 2-3 months.  The citrus-cured salmon on cucumber bread is, IMHO, worth the trip in and of itself.  However, I am giving them five stars based purely on today's "New Year's Pajama Brunch" -- so much FUN!

    We're Lettuce Entertain You frequent diner club members (leye.com -- you pay $25 to join, but get it back after your third use) because we're fans of several LEY joints (RJ Grunts, Mon Ami Gabi, etc, and I love Big Bowl's spicy peanut noodles).  As such, we get a newsletter, which is how I found out about the Pajama Brunch -- everyone dines in their pajamas, and if you're Frequent Diner Club members and present your card, you get GIFT CERTIFICATES WORTH THE VALUE OF YOUR MEAL(sans tax).  Yes, it's true.  I shout because I still cannot believe it.  We had a $85 meal (including bloody marys and coffee) and got $80 in gift certificates on the way out.  And we did it all in our PJs.

    Marketing-wise it's brilliant: Gets LEY-FDC members to get in on the first day of the year and start accruing more points, plus the gift certificates encourage you to come back (perhaps with friends, since you already know part of your meal is subsidized).  My only worry was that we'd be in the PJ-minority, and that 'civilians' would be dining with us.  WRONG.  Everybody, and I do mean EVERYBODY (including the employees) were in pajamas.  Hilarious.  It also makes it perfectly acceptable to people-watch, because we're all in on the joke.  I even ran into (PJ-clad) people I knew there -- turns out this is an annual event, and people look forward to it all year!

    So, see you next January 1st?  Brunch is from 10am-2pm or something like that.  Oh, and although they do have a special brunch menu, you can also order off the regular menu. :)

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/30/2008

    The food has become more and more assembly-line like through the 8 yrs. my wife and I have been going.  The crowd has changed, an increasing tourist, suburb crowd.  But my wife and I still love it, we go by ourselves on weeknights and it's a great place to entertain ironically, out of town guests.  New items are constantly being introduced, but it's a LEYE chain so the new items are pretty tamed.  But my old favorites have remained, scallops on top of cous cous, bacon wrapped dates, melted goat cheese, the cured meat plate with tomato bread, tenderloin skewer topped with blue cheese, seasonal fish.......

    We've started to order the paella for 2-3.  It's great to end the night with a bite or two of the paella...  Excellent midnight snack after...  

    Pitchers of sangria, rounds and rounds of cold and hot tapas.  Then end with a seafood paella.  Small bite desserts allows you to sample several without feeling guilty.  Tapas are best when shared by 2-4.  Better order several of the same if sharing with larger group.

    Also,  AWESOME place to hold private parties.... I cannot stress this enough.  We had the back left room...  (though the back right room was more intimate, our group was too large for it)  But still, the planner for that place was great.  Great food/drink packages and I don't think there was even a facilities charge.  Our guests left buzzing about the super fun night of great food and drinks.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/9/2011
    1 check-in

    Not much for me to add here. The food is always good here. The grilled calamari is our favorite. Make sure you book a reservation though. This place gets pretty packed during the weekends...for lunch and for dinner!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/6/2011

    i had my birthday dinner here for a table of 9 on a saturday night. there was unexpected traffic and no parking anywhere in sight i was 20 minutes late but thankfully, they still held my table. even though my guests arrived before me, they didn't seat us until everyone was there.

    the atmosphere is a whole lot better than cafe iberico. i like the rustic feel of the restaurant, it's a lot more group friendly too, i can actually converse in here! my friend ate on the patio before and said it was cold, but we were sat in the back room near the bathroom by the bar, and it was perfect.

    we ordered a whole lot: of course the infamous bacon wrapped dates (AMAZING), shrimp & scallop paella (better than iberico, so fluffy and flavorful!), spicy potatoes (so good!), meatballs with sherry tomato sauce (okay for me).. and finally, the white sangria, service, and birthday chocolate cake was superb!

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/7/2012

    This place used to be a solid 5-star breakfast spot (no line! $7 bloody mary bar!) but has declined in quality a little bit. The drink prices are up ($9 bloody mary bar), and they got rid of the best part of the meal--tiny breakfast churros with chocolate dipping sauce. I miss them so! Please bring them back!

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/15/2008

    I never really liked the concept of tapas, it just seems like I'm being cheated since all the portions are so small. The dishes here were worth it though and tasty to boot. The paella was a little oily in my opinion but still good nonetheless. As far as the sangria goes, I've had better. Cafe Iberico comes to mind and frankly the sangria at Weber Grill stands out before Ba-ba-reeba's, Not a bad place but I think it'll be a while until I go for tapas again.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/7/2010

    The good thing about Cafe BaBaReeba is that even though it is tapas, the portions are bigger than most tapas restaurants I've been to. One or two plates could easily be a meal, and a plate is enough to share amongst four people.

    I would definitely suggest a reservation if you are going with more than 4 people, it gets crowded! Its a good place to go with coworkers or for a celebration, definitely get the sangria!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/30/2008

    One of the things I regret most in life is not taking full advantage of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba when I lived in Chicago...

    At night I dream of their jamon serrano.

    If you ever get a chance to check out one of their flamenco shows, do it do it. It's spectacular. And if you're prone to crying when you see beautiful things, you'll likely cry. Especially after a couple of pitchers of sangria. Then you'll really get the waterworks going.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/24/2009
    Listed in Top Restaurants

    This is probably one of my favorite places in the city to eat.  Given, I still haven't been there a lot, but every time I have gone, I'm absolutely floored by how good the food is.  

    Last time I went, I went with my boyfriend for Valentine's Day.  We went on the Friday before V-Day, it was crowded, but I had a reservation and was seated quickly.  The waiter was nice and let us have plenty of time to decide, since my boyfriend had never been here before.  We started with the artisan cheeses and the baked goat cheese.  The artisan cheeses were good, but probably not something I would order again considering all the other wonderful things on the menu.  The goat cheese is absolutely DIVINE.  One of the best things I think I've ever had- creamy goat cheese surrounded in a red tomato sauce.  I was skeptical about this at first, but I'm so glad I got it.  

    My main dish (still on the Tapas Menu) was the Rioja Short Ribs with manchego mashed potatoes.  YUM! My mouth is watering as I write this.  The short ribs were perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious.  The mashed potatoes went perfectly with it.  My boyfriend wished he had ordered what I ordered when he tried mine!  He got the Beef Skewer, served with horseradish cream and red onion.  He loved his, but loved mine even more.  He is not the easiest to please either, quite a picky eater.  

    And of course, I can't go without mentioning the BEST Sangria in the city. We got the half pitcher of passion fruit and a half pitcher of peach.  Loved them both, they are sooo tasty.

    I think we are already going back this weekend for restaurant week!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/28/2012

    It's a fun atmosphere with young crowd.  I like the specialty sangrias they have to offer, especially the mango one.  The dates were unimpressive for me, my friends love the goat cheese with tomato sauce so if you ilke goat cheese, try it.  Grilled octopus was well seasoned, rioja-braised short ribs was fall off the bone delicious. The server was very attentive.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/8/2008

    I freaking love tapas. I love them, all of them, the hot and cold ones, the spicy ones, the cheesy ones, the meaty ones and the veggie ones. Bring em on.

    Alas, my fiance (aka person I go out to eat with most) does not share my unabiding passion for all things tapas. So, its a rare occasion when I get to come here. Maybe thats part of the reason that I like it so much, maybe...but I've never been disappointed by something I've ordered. The basics are great - tortilla espanola, patatas, queso de cabra al horno, etc. And, the specials that I've tried have been good too, including a seared tuna and watermelon soup that were both yum.

    The atmosphere is fun, too - I really like the patio on nice evenings, but it gets crowded and later in the night there always seems to be a wait. I've sat at the bar before to eat and wouldn't recommend it, we felt a little forgotten.

    Otherwise, I can't wait to come back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/22/2011

    Oh man this place was delicious.  Everything we got was superb.  Definitely make reservations, and eat outside if possible.  Go with a group so you can try a bunch of different options!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/13/2010

    I've been coming here for more than 10 years.  I like the atmosphere.  I like the service.  I like the sangria.  And I like the food.  I come here with Chicago friends, and I come here with friends visiting Chicago from out of town.  What is there not to like?

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/8/2010

    I have been here several times over the last 6-7 years. I am always happy with the food, service and atmosphere. There is usually street parking nearby which is why I'm kicking myself that I paid $11 for valet.

  • 1.0 star rating
    10/25/2010

    The food here is mediocre at best - the meatballs tasted more like filler than meat, the chicken was dry, the tuna tasted fishy, the empanadas were bland.  It isn't worth the trip.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/23/2008 Updated review

    A year and a half later, and I'm still a fan.  Good, consistent, and great sangria!  I recently went there during the tomato fest(?)..and everything was tomato this tomato that!  Which is great for me, because I love tomatos!  They had a tomato goat cheese thing which I loved, too.

    Still haven't tried their paella, which I have been CRAVING for the past 2 weeks..so maybe I'll make it over there sometime soon!  I still have yet to try the bacon wrapped dates.  But heard they are awesome!

    5.0 star rating
    2/13/2007 Previous review
    SO MUCH FUN!  Our server was AMAZING!  He was SO helpful, outgoing and exuberant!  The food was also… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    9/20/2008
    1 check-in

    I love this place! I recommend going with a group so you can order it up and share! Anytime I go there I need to order the following: sangria, olives, stuffed mushrooms, spicy potatoes with tomato alioli, manchego cheese, and crab & shrimp dip. I know, it sounds like a lot! But that's just these are must-haves! We always wind up ordering a couple more plates if there's a group of 4 or more.

    The bad thing is the wait. Be prepared to wait 45 min to over a hour even if you have reservations. It is worth the wait but still annoying especially since there's nowhere to wait really. It gets so crowded in there that you can't help but feel you're in the way no matter where you stand.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/11/2008

    I've never had a bad meal at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  Tapas are so appealing to me because I really enjoy eating a meal of just appetizers!  Top it off with some sangria and I'm good to go...

    My favorite time to go is on New Year's Day for their Pajama Brunch.  The gimic is: wear your pajamas to brunch and receive a coupon for the amount you spend on brunch that you can use later.  It's like two for one, and you don't even have to get dressed!  In fact, even the servers wear their pajamas on New Year's day.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/25/2008

    I loved Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. I went with one of my girlfriends and we shared a half pitcher of Sangria... I believe it was raspberry. It was just the right amount. We ordered 2 tapas each plus a larger entree dish. We were full by the time the entree came. My only issue was that we were in an odd corner of the room in which the table was tilted to one side.

    The atmosphere was great and it wasn't too crowded. We went on a Friday night around 7 pm. We were seated right away and we weren't waiting long before the first dish came out. I've been to Cafe Iberico and I would say that this place is on par!

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/26/2008

    Oy vey!  NOT BA BA REEBA!  NOOooOOoOoO!

    This is my post cell phone reaction when one of my best girlfriends (who loves this place and I'm sure would give five stars) calls me to tell me we're going here.

    Ba Ba Reeba always results in a decent experience, but it is always because of friends.  Never otherwise.  I think I just hate Tapas places on principle: an appetizer for HOW much?  Sharing?  GTFO my Patatas Bravas!

    It's the atmosphere that kills it more than anything for me.  Always full, always loud, always a big bill at the end, and always nets a "couldn't we have just gone to Clarke's?" response from me at the end.

    I guess I'm just not hip to dropping twenties on appetizer equivalents and sangria to be in an overcrowded, loud place because Ba Ba Reeba is "the place" near Armitage.

    So I always dread going.  I always leave with my friends and ready to hit somplace else afterward, satisfied that my credit card didn't melt afterward.  But I would never go here as a date place or with family.  Just friends and always in a group of 4 at minimum.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • Start your review of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!.

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    • Eek! Methinks not.
    • Meh. I've experienced better.
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    • Woohoo! As good as it gets!

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  • 4.0 star rating
    5/16/2008

    The food from Cafe Ba Ba Reeba is always exquisite - I love small plates because you get to try EVERYTHING if you want.  I used to be all about the hot tapas, but after trying the seafood salad, shrimp, scallops & squid, I've been converted.  If you pick the right combinations of tapas, there will literally be an explosion in your mouth.  I'm not joking.

    The place is crowded, the wait is hot-and-cold (sometimes you wait 30  minutes, random days you get seated at the best sections right away).  The service is commendable; the servers are very helpful: trust their recommendations.

    Try, try, try the peach sangria - it's my favorite.  The sangrias are deceiving; a half a pitcher can floor a single person... so share if you must, or is you don't plan on drinking that much.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/29/2007

    Decent tapas albeit a bit overpriced compared to other tapas restaurants in the city.  Service is friendly.  

    Spacious, I never knew how many rooms existed here until I got seated in what I believe to be their furthest room in the back.  During the warmer months, they also have a patio.  Sangria and sun = perfect combo.

    They have 4-5 variations of sangria, all are delicious.

    Parking is almost non-existent in this area, but they do offer valet for $9.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/24/2008

    Upon receiving the first of my Fisher Price My First Portions (TM), I was expecting that I was going to be spending $75 to get halfway full.  Luckily, that was not the case.

    Ultimately, I thought the value was decent, particularly given the high delicious content of the plates.  The braised short rib (singular) was amazingly succulently tasty, and this establishment is home to the only potato salad I do not hate.  

    The sangria was tasty, but after putting away half a pitcher and a beer, I think the single beer may have had more alcohol in it than the sangria.  Which is fine, but consider calling it fruit punch...

    Honestly though, I'll be goingo back at some point.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/2/2007
    Listed in Great Date!

    Spicy potatoes. Lamb kabobs. Sangria. Great service. Valet parking.

    I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the spicy potatoes, and I've successfully converted three people to doing the same.

    Some tips: If you get there and it's a long wait, sit in the bar and eat. Same menu, less of a wait if you're a good sniper. Valet your car or take the Halsted bus as parking is rough around there. Try the white sangria. Take the paella cooking class if you can.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/16/2010

    One of my favorite places to eat in the city! I have not been here for a few years, but again it did not disappoint! Great for groups, as there is something for everyone. The sangria is a must and is soooo good. We all ordered one dish and then ate it and then took another round of different dishes. Everything was delicious ans some of the favorites were the goat cheese marinara, ham and chicken corquettes, beed tenderloin with blue cheese, dates and the sausages. Excellent service and we were all stuffed for only $30 per person.

  • 1.0 star rating
    11/6/2007

    Ew.  I love tapas, so I thought it would be fun to go here, since it is so revered. Unfortunately, I also like good food. And people who aren't jerks. So I don't like Ba-Ba-Reeba.

    We were seated immediately in the bar on a weeknight. The service was slow and the bartender wasn't busy, but there were 2 drunk girls who looked like they may have loose morals making a scene of themselves. We got a pitcher of white sangria, which was ALL ice. All we did was look at it funny and the bartender goes "it's 7 glasses. If it's not I buy it, if it is, you pay double." Ok dude, chill. You're right, it's 7 glasses full of ice and juice.

    We got the chicken empanadas- one empanada. All mushrooms, which I am allergic to. Warm goat cheese- meh, had better. Short ribs- one rib, probably the greasiest piece of meat that had been sitting around in it's own greasiness I've had in a while. I still shudder to think. The manchengo mashies were good. BF had some shrimp, said they were boiled and gross.

    Bartender never came to check on us. We left starving (we would have gladly ordered more, had we been given a chance and had lost our minds) but we went somewhere tried and true to have some drinks and food and laugh at this restaurant.

    When we were leaving my BF grabbed a handful of mints and said "I'll need a lot of these to get the taste of that nasty food out of my mouth" and the hostess cracked up- she knows what he's talking about. Y-u-c-k.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/22/2009

    one of my new FAVORITE restaurants! every single thing i consumed was absolutely amazing and unique! the sangria, stuffed mushrooms, the spicy potatos! oh my! i left here feeling satisfied, not overly full and like i simply just ate well. didn't feel bloated by high salt levels from mexican or like i got mediocre food.  

    our waiter was extremely helpful and friendly; never felt rushed out of there even though we did go on a busy saturday evening and stayed afterward to just chat. atmosphere was wonderful. great place for a first date or great place to go for great tapas with friends. prices were very reasonable as well! hosts friendly and all staff we encountered was very helpful! cant wait til i get to go again!

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/20/2008

    I recently went here with a large group of friends and was honestly, very underwhelmed.  The items were a dollar or two more than they should have been and I think we were all unimpressed by the flavor and service.

    With other tapas options in the city, I would suggest to sit this place out and go to Imberico or Emerils.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/18/2008

    I went here on a Thursday night for dinner.  We ordered the Spanish Ceasar Salads, Papas Alioli and the Butcher's Paella.  It was all very good.  The service was perfect and our waiter even brought us out a complimentary dessert even though we told him we were full! The music was great-a mix of Bandoleros and Ojos de Brujo.  Can't go wrong with music like that!

    I want to go again to see the flamenco show and try the massive Sangria list.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/21/2008

    i went here with a group of ppl. It was pleasant, although very crowded for a wednesday night (which made me think, wow this place must be good) we each ordered two dishes and passed all of them around the table, i like the idea of ordering as you stay hungry, and the food was really good. I would say try the braised lamb, reminded me of a middle eastern dish i had in egypt, sweet and especially loved the peanuts they had on top. unusual but delicious.
    I would recommend this place to anyone!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/13/2008

    So I know it's sort of a trendy, yuppie-type place to hang out, but you just can't beat the tapas and sangria combo! If you go on Friday night and wait at the bar until 10 pm, they have $3 tapas (limited selection but the selections are good ones!) and of course, the sangria flows like wine. Wait, it is made from wine. Never mind....

    I've taken just about every out of town visitor I've had there, and I've even been to the one in Vegas. Not bad for a corporate chain, but they seem to have a winning formula with this concept! They also have cool events such a cooking classes and wine tastings, so check out their website for updated events!

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/3/2011

    I can't remember the food because the atmosphere was distracting me. I felt like I ought to have a lot more friends with me. Next time I will bring a lot more friends.

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/7/2010

    this is tapas for rookies. the food is expensive, not all that tasty.. super over-described and under-delivered (as if that tuna was olive oil poached or even ahi tuna... tasted like canned, yum, but nonetheless). and what is that stale as shit bread that they have on the table. get me fresh bread!

    sangria was yum. but lets not joke, booze always tastes good.

    at the end of the night the two of us were full, tipsy and $80 less rich.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/18/2012

    I first visited this place about 15 years ago and it was great. And it still is. I love the goat cheese, the patatas bravas, and sangrias.  It is a busy place and you might have to wait a bit but its worth it.   The service is good, the food is great and I love the ambiance.  Good date place and good family-friendly place.  Try the passion fruit sangria. yum

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/12/2010

    In one word- overrated. The one thing it has going for itself is the atmosphere. It's a very easy, fun place to take a group. But if you want good, unique tapas this is just not the place. Their dishes are not interesting and the menu is pretty small.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/7/2007

    Excellent tapas, great atmosphere and service. We came here with a large group on a Sunday evening. We had reservation for a private room so we were seated promptly.

    The roasted eggplant salad with goat cheese was so good I wiped the plates clean. The potatoes with aioli was another standout. Other dishes like green beans, mushroom, chicken skewers etc were all delicious.

    However, the paella wasn't very good and we ordered two different kinds. The desserts weren't anything special either, simply way too sweet.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/19/2009

    Fun atmosphere in a gigantic restaurant. Great for groups or for a small table. Some highlights (the dates that everyone raves about) and some medicore dishes that rely on overseasoning and oversaucing to get by.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/18/2009

    My favorite Tapas in the city!

    I have had a great experience each and evertime I have gone to Babareeba.  The food is amazing, the sangria is delicious and makes me feel great, and the atmosphere is lively and fun.  Great place to go as a couple or in a group for any special occasion.  There is a lot to choose from on the menu (typical of tapas places) and usually everyone is happy.  I like to take people who are visiting chicago here, they always love it.  Its a pretty big place so there is a lot of seating, but it is always busy so make a reservation if you can.  Highly recommended

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/27/2011

    Yumm, Love their tapas and can not wait to come in the end of Aug. So I can eat pincos, and get a little mexican in me. Great drinks and fun place to go.
    Brunch is delish, especially for an egg hater like me.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/8/2008

    Wow, there are tons of reviews on this place.  The last time I was here was in 2001, and I've got to say that my memory of the place was better than my experience.

    We went here for a birthday, and in general, I thought the tapas were very plain.  Nothing was particularly good/bad, except for the skirt steak (delicious), seared scallops (good but too small) and the paellas (not too good).  The chicken paella and the paella valenciana probably both should have been skipped.  The shrimp and clam fideua was better, the valencian noodles being the highlight.  

    In reference to Matthew S's comment about portions - I'd say probably 6 would be a good number if you don't want to be eating toothpick servings.  Otherwise plan on ordering two of everything like Noah's ark.

    What Babareeba lacks in its menu it definitely makes up for in atmosphere though.  The crowd is very attractive, and our server was a very good combination of friendly and accommodating.  The staff was very helpful in refreshing our bread, filling our water and taking our plates away.  It's still a fun place to go on a weekend evening.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/8/2008

    This joint is exactly what you'd expect from tapas, the people who brought you the small plate...  All the "standard" items are here, the food comes out quick and is delicious, and the wait staff are always friendly.

    Standouts from the vegetarian corner-
    mushroom empenada WOW
    red pepper soup with manchega croquettas WOWOWOW

    The cava sangria is spectacular but for the money, get the big one.  Unless you're driving!

    Went yesterday and feasted for 50 bucks, including dessert and beer.  

    Kudos also for the before 5 menu.  During summer hours Janna V and I come here often for cold tapas before dinner.

    Excellent.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/19/2011

    I've been here twice, and both times it was phenomenal.  This is the only Tapas place I've been to so I don't have much of a basis for comparision, but as far as food goes it is awesome.   Baked Goat cheesey is probably one of my favorite dishes of all time.  The first time we went with a large group and the waiter was a real help and not overly attentive, and for some reason comped two pitchers of sangria for us.  Second time was on a hot date and our server recommended the raw fish on special.  This was not very good, but besides that and a couple minimal waits to sit, this place has been great, I will be back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/5/2010

    I gotta just give it five stars. My first time was a great experience. The Spanish hams? Delicious.  The empanada? Even more delicious. The spare rib was perfect and the shrimp was so tasty. Any place that focuses on Spanish wines gets my vote of approval. Plus, at the end of dinner, I indulged in some sangria which was just excellent. I would even consider coming to cafe ba ba reeba solely to sip on some sangria. I should make a date of it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/3/2010

    Went there on recommendation from someone that used to live in the neighborhood.  Fantastic!  A little loud, but the food was great.  For something different, try the Paella for two!

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/25/2008

    I like- don't love, but really like Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. It's a great place to go meet friends after work, to have a few glasses of delish fruity Sangria or a fun place to bring out-of-towners.

    If I'm looking for a knock-my-socks off meal, I'm not going here. It's a fun palce. A grown-up Ed Debevicks (sp?) if you will. I was a little annoyed with them because I made reservations through Open Table last week for my cousin's birthday and I included in the notes that it was a birthday and to please bring out cake after the meal.

    Needless to say, there was no cake- not a biggie because my cousin was having a ball, but still, I was frustrated because I went through the trouble to try and coordinate to no avail. I'm sure had I reviewed Ba-Ba-Reeba prior to last week, they would have gotten four stars, but such is the case.

    ANYWAY- I will still set up happy hours and meet friends here; I'm sure I'll still think of this place for future birthday celebrations, but next time, I'll double, or even tripple check they know to bring out the cake.

    OLE!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/24/2008

    This is my go-to place for tapas in Chicago. Reservations are highly recommended considering how delicious this place is. I honestly crave the goat cheese toast points and their jalapeno shrimp. They have great sangria and paella as well. I have gone here for anything from a family dinner to a date and it's been a good spot for any event. They have a pretty big bar where you can wait for your table and have apps and drinks.
    The little dishes you order to share with your company ensures that no one will leave disappointed or hungry.

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/6/2010

    Cafe Ba-Ba Reeba has been a tapas staple in Chicago for a very long time. Over the last five years this place has gone down the pipes. The last two times I have been here the service is minimal to non-existant. The food is awful, meats are typically over cooked and dried out, and the bread they put on the table is stale beyond belief and hard as a rock. They are typically very busy and to accommodate long waits they've begun using their outdoor patio as seating year-round with a tent. The tent makes the noise level sky rocket, and I had to yell across my two-top table at my date. Because the patio is technically outdoors, there was a freezing draft that blew through the place every ten minutes. I'm writing Cafe Ba Ba Reeba off for good.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/16/2012

    I grew up in Madrid....hands down best, most authentic Gazpacho ever!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/24/2010

    ah ba ba reeba, I missed you.

    I used to go to cafe ba ba reeba pretty often but somehow it had fallen off my radar. we went back tonight and I remembered why I like it so much.

    the evening started off a bit rocky. we made a resi for 6 ppl about 3 weeks ago. when we arrived right on time, we were told to please wait at the bar and they'll all us when our table is ready. so we did. and we waited. we finally got seated about 25 minutes past our reservation time and were all a little on edge. we tried to brush it off. also adding to our frustration, we got seated outside in the semi tented area. normally I'd be really happy about that....but it is fall now and it was 60 degrees! I don't think a restaurant should seat you outside unless they've asked if you're ok with it. especially when we had a reservation and it was clearly pretty darn cold. I swear I'm getting to the good stuff. after all this is a 4 star review.

    about 5 min after we sat, the manager came over. he must have been informed of our grumblings. he apologized greatly for the delay in our seating and for our less than ideal table. he offered to close the tent roof a bit and pump a little heat in. he was just so nice and genuine that we were all reset and started fresh. the closed tent and heat made a huge difference. also, when we got the bill, he had taken $20 off. really great handling of customers. they definitely redeemed themselves. all I ever want is for a restaurant to recognize the problems and handle them. the money off was just super nice icing on the cake.

    so the food....
    mmmmm good. this isn't a super duper authentic tapas place. so if you want that, go somewhere else. it is a great fun place with really yummy food. it's a little more chainy feeling than I generally like, but the food really makes up for it.

    some of my favs:
    curry chicken salad ( this is one of my fav things of all time. love it )
    goat cheese and tomato sauce
    any of the empanadas
    short ribs with mashed potatoes

    they're all really solid dishes. I don't think you'll run home saying "these are the best tapas I've ever had", but I also don't think you'll be disappointed.

    side note - I am a little disappointed that they got rid of the egg salad with shrimp pintxo. it was soooo good.

    oh yeah, and the sangria is great. thanks ba ba reeba.

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/21/2010

    I really tried to like it here. The sangria is good, and it has a fun atmosphere, but the food is very disappointing.  I went twice, and both times nothing I ate stood out, and a few dishes I could even say I really disliked.  I'd go back for drinks, but not for dinner.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/18/2010

    I just got a chance to dine there earlier this week. Last time was 5 years ago. I ordered carry-out once in a while. It was packed on Monday evening. The food was good but not outstanding. We felt rushed many times by the bussers and server even if there were empty tables by us. We were still working on the food and the bussers took them away while we were chatting. It was a going away party so...Sangria was good though and still better than a lot of places.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/17/2008

    I've been here several times, and only once was I disappointed with some of the tapas plates.  This past Friday was fairly eventful, though, when a candle exploded on us.  Not kidding.  We were sitting at the bar eating where they had a candle burning in a glass holder on top of the sangria tap, and then POP! glass everywhere.  I thought I was in the Wild West being shot at!  Not that smart to keep hot glass on top of cold metal, but we were fine and the manager took our pitcher and one of the tapas dishes off.  It was very nice of him.

    On to the important part.  My favs:

    1)beef tenderloin skewer with horseradish mayo--the beef is always so tender

    2)stuffed mushrooms with manchego cheese--so so good!

    3)mixed greens salad with little chorizo bits (like bacon bits), egg, and other delicious fixings

    4)chicken and chorizo skewers

    5)they also had this pistachio encrusted pork tenderloin on special once--so delicious

    6)PASSION FRUIT SANGRIA--doesn't even taste like you're drinking alcohol...but you are, my friend!

    I love their bread and table olive oil, also.

    I was not as impressed with:

    1)roasted lamb--it came in this sweet sauce that was just way too sweet

    2)crab cakes--I think these were on special, but they were not that tasty...a little fishy.

    3)potato and onion omlette--it was okay, but it's like a wedge of potato and egg quiche served cold.  I wished it were warm, bc cold chunks of potato are a little hard to take.

    All in all, I love coming here.  Make a res if you have a big group, otherwise, if you have a party of two, you can always eat at the bar, which is what I prefer.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/10/2010
    2 check-ins

    If you're a vegetarian looking for a tapas place that offers more than the same 5 basic dishes every time you go - Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is the place to visit.  There menu has plenty of vegetarian options, and they are always willing to make it vegetarian if you ask them to.  I have been going here for years and it's one of my favorite tapas places in the city.  The service can be slow if they are super packed, but overall they are pretty good.  The ambience and decor are fun, and the sangrias are always good.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/3/2009

    Ended up coming here last minute with some great people. The six of us were coming from an event that had a lot of wine but very very very little finger food. All of us were starved so we ended up at Ba-Ba-Reeba. We ordered, seriously, like half the menu. Octopus, spicy potatoes, mixed plates... a ton of desserts... the spread was pretty good... I wouldn't call it the best tapas I've ever had (and oh do I love tapas) but the company and the surroundings def upped it :] And the sangria was pretty tasty - I love it when they leave in chunks of fruit, wish there was more tho - (I loved the white) Our waitress was super nice and we had a great time just chatting and dining the whole night. It's def a fun place to go to if you're into sharing small plates and trying a ton of different things!

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/11/2011

    I loved the authenticity of this place; I went with 3 girlfriends who had lived in Spain and were very excited about going. Our reservation was at 9:30, and we arrived with 5 minutes to spare. We still had to wait about 25 minutes for our table, which was annoying especially since we weren't a big party, only 4 of us. Once sat, everything went fairly well. The waiter was attentive and good about making recommendations with such a large menu. They were out of the salmon dish that we wanted, and he made a recommendation for the scallops, which we ordered. However, we were brought a completely different dish, and it seemed toward the end that something was lost in translation and the scallops were brought out long after everything else. We actually had to ask where they were in order to get them. The bacon-wrapped dates were fantastic, and the sangria was delicious. My friend got a mojito and said it was "acceptable". However, we were shocked when we got the final bill and it was only $21/person! Very affordable, though of course tapas completely depends on what you order. We all loved the bite-size desserts; I got the banana one and it was the perfect amount of sweetness at the end of the meal.

    All in all, very good food, but extremely packed restaurant. I think there are other places in Chicago with equally good tapas that might not be such a hassle to get a table.

  • 1.0 star rating
    4/11/2011
    1 check-in

    I was pretty disappointed, with the atmosphere and the food, but mostly the food.  Maybe it was the time I went, Sunday afternoon.  My food was prepared half cold and ultimately just not very tasty (so bland).  Have to give thumbs down on my experience there.  Won't be going back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/3/2007

    So we've established this place is crowded on the weekend. Restaurants with a good reputation usually are.

    I came here on a Thursday for dinner with some people from work and our boss who flew in from Miami (who really has pretty high standards for food). This is a great place to take guests from out of town, at least during the week. The sangria was awesome (try the peach). Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese and the Spicy Potatoes are a must! Everyone enjoyed the food and I'll be going back with friends.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/4/2010

    Yummy!!  Always good plates which are great for groups of 4-6.  Sangria is delicious.  Love the small desserts (you can eat 2!).  The patio is fantastic on a nice night.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/12/2008

    I enjoyed my second time at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba last weekend.  We were here on a Saturday night.  We had reservations, so we had no problem getting a table.  This place fills up fast!

    After reading all of these reviews, I was eager to try the sangria, so we ordered a half pitcher of white.  It was... meh.  The fruit didn't do anything to flavor the wine and I thought it was pretty pricy for the amount you got.  Next time I'll stick with wine or a cocktail.

    The food here is always fun to eat.  To start, we ordered a mixed salad with beets, which was just okay, and the goat cheese with tomato sauce, one of my favorite appetizers to eat.  YUM!  We ran out of bread often but the staff here are happy to keep your bread bowl full if you ask.

    We also ordered the short ribs with manchego mashed potatoes, which were excellent, as well as smoked salmon and cucumber bread (light, fresh and yummy) and the beef skewers with horseradish sauce.

    I always have a fun time coming here.  The prices might be on the high side, but compared to what you'd spend dining anywhere else in Chicago, they actually seem on the low side.

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/3/2008

    It's one of those Chi-town classics that I've ignored all these years, but I finally made it to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba last night for a  very late dinner. That the place was teeming at that hour of the night and we had to wait for some time (seemed like eternity, since we were famished!), was evidence that my view goes against the grain of the "popular" opinion. But what the heck, I think that kitchen can survive some kvetch!

    The choice of tapas was certainly impressive, the service not so much. There was much mushroom to choose from, none made an impact. My top 2 picks - the goatcheese/tomato sauce, and the chocolate tres leches. The salads were a trifle insipid, and the sangrias somewhat weak, but here maybe what we singled out from the selection was a bit to blame.

    I would probably not pick this spot for the cuisine caliber, but it's definitely a good option for some laid-back group dining, especially if some like it loud!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    7/19/2012

    Amazing tapas! Great custard too.

  • 1.0 star rating
    12/3/2009

    Overrated.  Overpriced.  Overhyped.  Underwhelming.

    Food is good, but not amazing.  Lots of people love this place, but I always leave feeling like I didn't eat that much, and my credit card got hit hard.  Cafe Iberico is a better option by far - tastier & more affordable.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/1/2011

    A good time and decent tapas, I seem like always sit in the covered patio area with a wobbly table.  I prefer Ibeirico and others for the food, but Reeba is upbeat and a nice atmosphere, especially for small groups.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/15/2008
    Listed in Damn Good Food, Indulge

    I used to stay away from tapas restaurants when I was younger because of my pickiness.  Ba-Ba-Reeba changed my mind instantly upon my first visit.  Reservations are essential, but should you have to wait, grab a half pitcher of sangria before your table's ready.  I tried the Cava sangria for the first time and the sparkling wine really wasn't for me.  Only try it if you're not a fan of sweet sangria.  The bar where you can wait has ample seating and is not in the way of the traffic at the entrance.

    I've been in nearly all of the seating areas and can't really complain about the setup.  Recently I was seated in the room adjacent to the patio and even though it was a busy night, I was able to talk to my table without having to shout.  The service is usually very good and the wait staff is accommodating to both rookie and veteran patrons.

    Menu musts include the beef tenderloin, spicy potatoes (patatas bravas), roast dates wrapped in bacon, goat cheese in tomato sauce, and the sausage plate.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/28/2008

    Definitely make reservations here - when we checked in for our 8:30 reservation, the wait was over two hours without one. Sangria (the red variety, at least) was strong, with maybe a bit too much brandy; the cava, on the other hand, was delicious and I could drink pitchers of it. The tapas here are good, but I think Emilio's are better, particularly the goat cheese and tomato sauce (my favorite) and the ham and cheese croquettes. The one major standout here is the short ribs, which come with the most amazing manchego cheese mashed potatoes.

    We had good service, but not excessively friendly service. The tapas came out quickly - almost too quickly at times - but at times I felt like we were inconveniencing our waiter.

    Must haves: goat/cheese tomato, short ribs/mashed potatoes, garlic potato salad, fried calamari.

    Don't bother: ham and cheese croquettes were mushy and bland. Not worth it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/23/2008

    It is loud, which could be a drawback if you're not expecting it, but everything else is so great it doesn't matter.  We had pitchers of both the red and the peach sangrias, both delicious.  Our table of 5 ordered at least twelve different tapas and all were fantastic.  Favorites included lamb with basil, empanadas, caesar salad with ham, stuffed mushrooms, goat cheese in tomato sauce, citrus cooked salmon...all were very good though.  

    The patio is lovely.  We made our reservations online, showed up on time and were seated promptly.  Dishes were brought out on time and really overall, the service was impressive.  

    I'm taking one star for the name, which is silly (I know, not a valid aspect for rating, but this is my opinion and I'm drinking wine, so I do what I wooooooont), and for the volume.  But we'll be back, soon.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/23/2008

    After a bad experience at another tapas restaurant, I decided to try out this place.

    I'd heard the food and the atmosphere were great.  I definitely have to agree.  I've now been here about 6 or 7 times and the food is always so good!  I love the bacon wrapped dates, the goat cheese and marinara sauce and the spicy potatoes.  I've actually probably tried everything on the menu and it has all been delicious.  Oh, and the sangria is fantastic!  I prefer just the regular red sangria, but all the different kinds are really good.  You must try the paella.  You should order it in the beginning, because it takes a while to cook....and only order a few portions just to taste, because you will most likely be full by the time you eat all the various tapas.

    I really like their flan.  It's so creamy and yummy.

    This restaurant is a part of LEYE, so it is a little more corporate, but it's still the only one out there of it's kind and I love it!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/28/2011

    What a great time and a fun, food-fantastic restaurant, good for families, large groups and couples.   From the host to the server to the bus boy to the manager, everyone here was eager to make our visit great.  The tapas are large in proportion and taste great.  The ne brunch pinxto platter was terrific, espeically the chicken waffle bites and the tiny pancakes (to die for).   All food was well-prepared and delicious, especially the spanish caesar salads, the devlied eggs, the chorizo omelette and the tiny, tiny desserts (banana and butterscotch are fantastic).   All brunch items are highly recommended.  Sangria is reasonably prices and delicious (Blood Orange flavor) while the Watermelon mojito was wonderfully strong and fruity without being overly sweet.   Our server was helpful and the kitchen eager to help with the few requests (off menu) that we had.  A great time!!!!

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/30/2005

    Quite delicious food and celebratory atmosphere.  Reservations, definitely.  Take a cab or use their valet parking service.  It gets pretty crowded in there and fairly loud, but the service is good and food/drink very good.

    8/20/06: went back last night, I think this was my fourth visit, and although the service was great and we had a wonderful time, the tapas don't come close to Emilio's in Hillside or Meson Sabilka in Naperville.  Last night I found them to be salty and greasy, and they don't have a plain-old, delicious, roasted vegetable tapas.  We landed here because we wanted a place that would accept a reservation, otherwise we would have gone for Iberico.  Also, I barely felt a thing after nearly a half-pitcher of sangria - if you met me at the Dine event, or have been on the receiving end of the Ellen M drunk-dial, you know what a lightweight I am.

    I would defintely return, but more for the fun and convenience.  This was the first leg of my sister's bachelorette party.   There were quite a few others happening, as evident by the brigades of wide-eyed young women with tiaras, veils and penis hats.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/29/2010

    I love Ba-Ba-Reeba, especially if I am with a group.  It is a little loud in the restaurant, but that adds to the festive ambiance.  I have consistently loved and have never been disappointed in the service or the food.  The sangria is top notch and they have many variates.  This was were I wanted to go for my bachelorette party and it was a blast.  It is in a neighborhood where there is enough to do after dinner as well.  But you can make Ba-Ba-Reeba an all night affair.  I would recommend a reservation on weekends, otherwise you may have to wait, but no fear, there is a great bar.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/24/2010

    This place deserves all of the rave reviews it has received already.  Good food, good drinks, good service, all ' all a fun dining experience for any and all ages.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/27/2008

    I love this place.  I highly recommend this place if you have a large group - and you just want to have good food and a good time.  It's such a cute and perky place.  

    It's big, but the wait can be at least 1 hr - so make sure you make a reservation.  The tapas are good and excellent to share.  The sangria is so tastey. The paella takes at least 30 minutes so make sure you order it ahead of time.  

    I immedaiately think of this place when I am dining out in a group.

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/20/2008

    Atmosphere is great, it doesn't hurt either that it's in the Lincoln Park area, always very cool!  Huge place, there's also outdoor seating during the summer.  But because this place is huge, they went and tried to put as many tables as they could, it's very tight between tables.  Food is delicious, but somewhat expensive for such tiny portions.  Parking sucks, so I suggest not wasting anymore than one go around the block before you valet.

    Overall-
    Cleanliness:  A
    Food:  A
    Prices:  B
    Service:  A
    --------------------
    Grade:  A

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/4/2011

    A few coworkers and I recently dined here. There was a variety of tapas, and they were all good quality. Things were seasoned nicely but I wouldn't say that any of them made us feel that it was the greatest thing ever. The ambiance of the restaurant was great and the server was very attentive and friendly. Things were also affordable and fast. These factors alone make us a "fan" of Ba-Ba-Reeba.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/4/2007

    3 things keep me drooling for BabaReeba: the sangria, the stuffed mushrooms and the halibut.  However a few months ago, I found out that the halibut is no longer on the menu.  =(  But that's ok because so many other tapa dishes are fantastic.  Try the eggplant salad and the Spanish omelet to start.  They get the stuffed mushrooms, hanger steak, meatballs, escargot, chicken/sausage skewer...the list just keeps going.  Wash it down with some sangria and enjoy the rowdy crowd.  

    For best results come here with a group and get 2 or 3 tapas each to share!

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/19/2007

    This is a great place to take out-of-town guests (or anyone you want to impress)! The food's great, the service is excellent, and the prices are very reasonable.

    Our group of 9 arrived about a half-hour before our Friday night reservations, and were seated almost right away in a back room, away from the craziness of the kitchen and bar. Definitely make reservations, though - others had to wait two hours or more for a table.

    The food was delicious, as always. Many of the people in my group were eating tapas for the first time, and they loved it. Even the pickiest eaters in the bunch found something to like. I enthusiastically recommend the bacon-wrapped dates and baked goat cheese. Other popular items with our group were the short rib plate and the tortilla espanola.

    Our service was excellent, and the sangria was delicious. We all ate and drank our fill, and our total bill with gratuity and tax was under $20 per person. Overall, a great experience!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/3/2010

    My boyfriend and I were in Chicago for the weekend. He had never been to the Windy City and we wanted to get out of touristy downtown. I loved coming to this restaurant when I lived in Chicago a few years back. It was as good as ever! We started with the traditional red sangria. The pitcher was large enough for both of us to drink throughout our meal. We had a cheese plate, which had the perfect variety of cheeses for every taste! The stuffed mushrooms weren't very flavorful, so I would not recommend those. One surprise winner was the bacon wrapped dates. I usually do not like bacon, but these were perfectly paired with the dates. Fantastic! Other great tapas included the chicken empanada, and the cheese in tomato sauce. We sat outside under the lights and had a great evening!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/16/2010

    I like Ba-Ba-Reeba.  Have been here several times, but just returned last week.  Service is strong, food selection is good, and flavor is good.  It's a loud place, but go when you are in the mood for a fun atmosphere.  I have dined here for years and never been disappointed.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/1/2009
    Listed in W3

    After sampling bakeries and hot dog stands and other Chicago Institutions all day, we just werent hungry enough for a big dinner, but not stuffed enough to just call it a night, so Cafe BBR was the perfect answer.  They have a huge menu of lots of tapas (in fact, the whole menu is tapas) and all of them except for the octopus were great, and some of them, the short ribs in particular, were outstanding.  The 520 reviews and 4 star rating made me expect something a little more unique and unbelievable, but the food was all really good, and they have a comfortable enclosed patio, so I was pretty happy overall.  Just dont go expecting a once in a lifetime experience.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/16/2010

    Everything I had was exquisite:  pollo/chorizo skewers, patatas bravas, cake and caramel deserts, sangria, and a little more. Can't wait to go back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/6/2010
    4 check-ins

    Stopped by Cafe BBR for desserts and wine, actually (had dinner at another place down the street) and being my first tapas restaurant, I thought it was pretty cool. Our server, who was also a fellow Californian, was very nice and easy going. We had ice cream and I also had a glass of the white peach sangria, mmm. I promise to come back for the food!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/6/2007

    Great for groups.  I'd definitely recommend reservations; every time I go, it seems to be busy and lively.  The service isn't always that great but I've always had a good time and thought that the tapas were tasty.  Some of my favorites: spicy potatoes, beef empanadas, mixed combo paella.

    I swear to you though, I've never had sangria this weak.  The multiple times I've been there, we've gotten all different kinds of pitchers white, red, and I always find myself thinking that I may as well be drinking Mondo.  You remember Mondo - back in the lunch box days.  Yes, juice, food coloring, ice.  Still good fun, just don't waste your money on the sangria.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/7/2012
    3 check-ins

    If you make a reservation ask for Nate as a server. This guy has great recommendations and really knows how to make a meal fun.

  • 2.0 star rating
    5/2/2010

    I didn't want to go here, but my good friend Jamie C. was visiting from Miami and she wanted some tapas.  The very first complaint was the sangria is really really weak, they use taps to dispense.  I think we consumed 12 pitchers between six people and I couldn't even get a buzz.  I think Jamie C. was drunk on something else if she thought the paella was good, sadly it was a mushy excuse for good paella.  The one positive dish was bacon wrapped dates, they were fantastic.  Service can rapid fire with 6 dishes at once, then no dishes for 20 minutes.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/23/2008

    I absolutely love this place...hard to walk in to get a table, so you need a reservation. But the wait is worth it when you can order pitchers of sangria at the bar! My favorite sangria is the red...the fruity flavors tend to get really sweet - what's the point if you can't taste the wine?

    Tapas are phenomenal...patatas bravas are my fave, I also love the tortilla espanola and anything with seafood. Lots of garlic in the dishes! The paella is also exceptional - I usually go for the mixta or the regular valenciana...can't go wrong with either. Perfectly moist, flavorful, and always a perfect soccarat at the bottom (browned rice at the bottom!).

    I took a paella cooking class here also...it wasn't hands on but you get a delicious lunch and wine tastings with it, it was so fun! I also went to a Flamenco show/dinner...not worth the money. The music was awesome, but it was hard to the see the dancing with the table setup.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/1/2010

    Went there last night with a small group of people (6) to enjoy some tapas and that was exactly what we did. The scallops wrapped in bacon were so good that after we finished our first 12 plates we ordered another set of scallops. The other highlights were the tenderloin and horseradish, the goat cheese (of course), and the spicy potatoes are always tasty. I am not a big sangria person but everyone else seemed to enjoy it since they went through 3 pitchers or so. The service was good, the restaurant is loud, and parking is always a challenge but overall the place is somewhere that I will continue to go back to.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/2/2008

    My boyfriend and I decided to check this place out because I have been trying to find a good tapas place near our place.  It was everything I could have wanted.

    Our pitcher of Black Raspberry sangria was amazing.  Our waitress really knew her stuff, was very friendly and prompt, and even brought us free dessert!!!  Oh yeah, the tapas were awesome, too.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/27/2010

    I went here in a group of five on a Wednesday night and there was really no wait. Our server was great and very helpful and everything she suggested was delicious. If you have room for dessert you should try as many as you can; they're all really good.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/1/2009

    This place is great!  The service has been great on every occasion except for one when it was still good, but not spot on.  The food is always excellent and I don't think I will ever get tired of the selections.  Some nights can get very busy, so I would recommend calling ahead, especially on a Friday or Saturday night.

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/27/2010

    My friend and I met up yesterday for lunch at Cafe BaBaReeba.  Who knew they had brunch?  Apparantly not many people, because the place was empty.  We sat on the heated patio, and were the ONLY people out there.  At noon.  On a Sunday.  (I laughed at the people waiting outside Nookies in the cold).
    So, 3 star review huh?  Well, 4 stars for brunch and 2 stars for dinner makes a 3 star review.
    I have had tapas and paella many places.  When I came here for dinner, it just wasn't memorable.  And, it was expensive.
    But the brunch, mmmm.  You could order brunch tapas or from their regular menu.  My friend and I split 3 tapas:
    Fried paella with chorizo and poached egg - this was delicious.  The crunchy rice with the spicy sausage and egg was just perfect.
    Crepe with bacon, egg, and cheese - also delicious.  And huge!
    Waffle with mixed berries - again, delicious.  It was half of a full size belgian waffle, with the perfect crispy outside.  Tons of fresh berries (definitely not from a can like some breakfast places) and some delicious whipped cream.  Yum!
    Each dish was only $4 or $5.  With 2 sodas, including tax and tip, our whole meal came out to $27.  Not to shabby for Lincoln Park brunch with no wait!  I'll definitely be back for lunch - not so much for dinner.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/20/2010

    Oh yum. Sangria's always tasty, the ambience is wonderful - if a bit overcrowded. They can practically always seat you at the bar if you can't get a table and I strongly recommend trying the goat cheese. But all the food choices are pretty good.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/4/2008

    My favorite tapas joint in the city.  I like the outdoor seating in the summer.  In the colder months the hustle and bustle of the inside rooms add to the experience.  The sangria is a must and is very tasty.  As for what to get...its hard to say as almost everything is very good.  If you're having trouble, ask your server as they wont disappoint you.  I've probably been here 5 times.  Each time I try another tapas place, this place remains the leader.  Who will top Cafe baba reeba?  Only time will tell

    S&J summer08

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/20/2011

    Been there a few times, never had a bad experiance.  I am yet to order anything that I did not like on the menu.  The bloddy mary bar on weekends is really good as well.

  • 2.0 star rating
    2/19/2011

    Nothing except the sangria stands out about this tapas place. I did not love anything that I ordered. The food was forgettable. Then I had to wait too long for the server to return to fill up my sangria

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/9/2011

    Last week my husband and I went here for the first time in a long time and brought our kids ages 5 and 7.  The food was good, as was the Sangria.  Our waitress, Katie, was great and was very friendly to our girls which made it a great experience.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/21/2010

    a favorite for big groups or girls nights
    sangria is awesome
    there isn't anything i've had from the menu that i don't like
    love ba ba reeba!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/5/2010

    Ok, let's get this out of the way.: this place makes great food.  As good as it's Lettuce-Entertain-You brother "mon ami gabi".  In fact, the quality of these two restaurants makes me want to try every restaurant in the Lettuce-Entertain-You chain.  

    We came on a warm sunny afternoon and sat outside, so we can't remark much on the decor, other than that you should definitely try to eat outside if you can.  Not only is it a wonderful way to enjoy the food, you become surrounded by the smells of the foods of other patrons and leads to quite an appetite opening atmosphere.

    One cool thing about the menu: the pintxos.  They're bite-sized mini-tapas for $1.50.  We had the artisenal spanish cheese and quince and the chorizo wrapped dates.  The dates rivaled some of the best meat-wrapped-dates we've had in Chicago, including such places at Avec.  The chorizo was sliced super-thin and everything was flavored exquisitely.  We had to stop ourselves from getting 10 of them.

    As for tapas, we had the short-ribs with manchego cheese mashed potatoes, spicy potatoes with tomato aioli, grilled squid in olive oil, and the seared scallops with couscous.  Even with such a diversity of proteins and carbs, they shared one thing: flavor.  Each dish had its own unique flavor that simply screamed for your salivary glands to make copious amounts of drool and your stomach to scream for more.  The short-ribs fell apart at the prodding of your fork.  The juice from it make you wanna pour it in your mouth from the plate.  The spicy potatoes were deep fried and super-spicy but perfectly paired with the mild aioli to create quite a party in your mouth.  The squid was simply exquisite.  Simple and delicious.  You taste the squid, you taste the garlic and lemon, and you can't believe that something so simple can be so delicious.  The seared scallops were equally perfect.  Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and paired with a perfectly cooked couscous.  Really, it's not a coincidence that the word "perfect" was used so much in this review.

    No tapas meal can be complete without some sangria, and in this Ba-Ba-Reeba delivers again...perfectly.  We had the black raspberry, passion fruit, and the special of the day, mango.  Each one has enough fruit essence to trick you into thinking you were getting your daily vitamins, and enough alcohol to make the first part easier.  It was just simply perfect.

    At the end of the day, the tapas place with which we benchmark every other tapas restaurant in Chicago against is our favorite (and first): cafe iberico.  Honestly, this place does a great job of putting up a fight.  It really only loses in terms of price, but honestly, given the location and decor, it's probably worth it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/15/2008

    The Black Raspberry sangria was delicious, the 1/2 pitcher is enough 3-4 glasses each for two people. My girlfriend and I got a variety of tapas but the highlights were the bacon wrapped dates and stuffed mushrooms. The potato omelet was a bit disappointing, and the beef skewers were OK but not great. The cheese plate was very good but the portions of cheese were a bit too small for my liking. The vibe was very upbeat and the patrons were a diverse bunch. Our waitress was friendly enough and the food came out super quick, which is always a plus!

    I'll definitely be making a return to Ba-Ba-Reeba in the future but judging by the huge line we passed on the way out (8:45ish, Friday night) I'll make a reservation first.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/18/2012

    This was my first time at a tapas restaurant, and I loved it!! Loved the bacon wrapped dates!!  I will definitely go back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/28/2009

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba officially stole my tapas-virginity and my heart last Friday.  

    My entire party was new to tapas and we were more than thrilled to have the loveliest waitress I've had in a long time.  Not only was she super friendly and sweet but she was SO knowledgeable about the menu.

    So down to the good stuff - food.  I'm officially out of work in 2 hours so it's probably masochistic to start describing the delicious explosion of taste that occurred on my palette that night; but here goes:
    baked goat cheese- this was a safety i think... you can't really go wrong with bread, tomato sauce, and goat cheese, at least not in my opinion.
    Seared Spanish Sausages- my favorite tapa we got, hands down.  You get 4 different kinds of sausages and each are delicious and unique.  It comes with a dipping sauce which, at the risk of sounding like a pretentious foodie, basically tasted like mayo.  But no worries, sausage needs no dipping sauce in my world!  Even taking into consideration my intense love for sausages of any kind (from bratwurst to chorizo and back), this plate pleased my non-sausage obsessed dinner mates just as much.
    Grilled Sirloin- this was very good, the sirloin was done to perfection and seasoned beautifully.  I don't think I will get it in the future only because it wasn't all that exciting, it was a basic (albeit well-done) sirloin and grilled veggies.  
    Garlic Shrimp- yum yum yum! even when you're done devouring the shrimp the garlic/olive oil/red pepper offers a perfect dipping sauce for the bread.  Just beware of getting too much red pepper on your bread - it is not for the meek of spice.

    the drinks were just as great as the food.  We started with the passion fruit sangria, which I adored, then ended up getting the pitcher of the black raspberry sangria (I was sadly outvoted).  Both versions were delish but I liked the passion fruit better because it was a little lighter and not as sweet as the raspberry version.  I also will admit a bias to anything resembling a pinot grigio or chardonnay.  

    So the nicest and most unexpected surprise about this place is the obvious value they place on their customers.  We made a reservation for 8:30 that night and were not seated until 9:15, not that big of a deal because we enjoy each others company and even more so over a glass of sangria.  Anyway, once we got seated the owner/manager (not sure which) came over and apologized for the wait.  We assured him it was no big deal and that we happily kept ourselves busy at the bar in the meantime.  At the end of our meal he brought over the check and it displayed a big fat $0.00.  The collective reaction was WHAT?!  This is AWESOME!  and very very unexpected.  I'm never one to turn down a free meal but it is especially nice to be treated to one when you don't really think you deserved it (ie: we were not the bitchy party who yelled at the hostess about the length of the wait, claiming that it "should not be that difficult to estimate the time to get a table" since they are "a restaurant after all!").

    Summary:
    1.  eat the sausages
    2.  drink the passionfruit sangria
    3.  leave happy, tipsy, and full!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    11/4/2007

    What new things can I say about a place with 172 reviews?

    We must've hit it at an off time, at 3pm on a Sunday it was empty, and the perfect spot for a late lunch. Everything was fresh and hot - always a plus! Highlights were the passion-fruit sangria, beef skewer and the mushroom stuffed with spinach & manchengo cheese. Our waiter was great - always around, knowledgeable, and friendly. We had a great time. I'd try other places first, but I'd go back anytime.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/6/2007

    I took my parents here and we ordered 9 different tapas, and each and every one of them were almost as good as the last (especially the shrimp and crab gratin).  The inside of the restaurant is really nice looking, and there is a pretty nice outdoor seating area, although it was a bit too humid to sit out there last night.

    The sangria here was probably some of the best that I've had(passion fruit).  The food and drinks here are a bit expensive, but this seems like a place you'd only go to once and a while on special occasions or dates.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/22/2007

    Crazy noise levels, crazy crowds, but pretty damn good anyway.  I'm not hung up on the authenticity of tapas, having never eaten them in Spain (even though I've been to Spain), and I think these taste pretty damn good.  For comparison's sake, I like them better than those at Emilio's.  

    My faves are the spicy potatoes with tomato aioli (super spicy!), the goat cheese in tomato, the garlic potato salad (garlic lover's heaven) and the serrano ham and tomato bread.  I also really enjoy the white and peach sangrias.  And really, I've never tried anything that I haven't liked here, so you can't really go wrong.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/20/2010
    5 check-ins
    Listed in Happy Hour Deals!

    This place has really good tapas but the wait can be quite long on weekends.  Now, I am more inclined to go there for their bar tapas (everything on the menu for $3!!!).  The bar menu is only available 4-6 M-Sun and 10-12am F-Sat.  The grilled calamari and bacon-wrapped dates are absolutely amazing and I never go there without ordering these two items.  They have white and red sangrias which are good but not great.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/20/2010

    A zoo when busy, missed two of my plates. But considering the quality of the tapas, especially compared to the price, I sort of have to forgive a bit. This place makes a joke of the other tapas I've had. Warning: Paella is very oil-heavy.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/16/2010

    The tapas (pintxos platter) were delicious, but the paella (chicken & artichoke), unmemorable.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/24/2010

    Tapas heaven. The sangria's delicious too. Having studied in Spain, I'm decidedly a tapas/paella/sangria snob but Ba-Ba-Reeba definitely has my love =)

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/26/2009

    Tapas + homemade deliciousness of sangria + paella= love party. It's not very expensive, the atmosphere is fun, the neighborhood is trendy and entertaining, and you will leave STUFFED. It's a good night out. If you haven't tried it yet, then get a move on. My favorite is still Iberico (the "patatas bravas" are mouth watering there, and it is cheaper), but when it comes to neighborhood and restaurant dining then this takes the cake of the two. I've always had great service.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/24/2010

    I love Cafe Ba Ba Reeba! The desserts are so cute! The chicken and artichoke paella is my favorite! The sangria is amazing! I love the white peach.  I keep coming back intending to try new things, but always stick to what I know I love, including the patatas bravas and the stuffed mushrooms! The food is amazing! The wait staff could be a little nicer.  It is convenient that checks can be split for each person.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/8/2008

    This is the tapas restaurant that I compare all others to. The spicy potatoes are awesome, so are the bacon wrapped dates, and the stuffed mushrooms. The prices aren't bad and the menu is easy to follow.

    I may sound like a booze hound but I've tried all the sangria and I have no complaints. They're all great!!

    I've never been here when it isn't busy. I used to work down the street and tried at different times of the day. But I guess that's a good thing, it means everyone is talking. Call ahead for reservations and you wont wait long.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/18/2008

    I dig the tapas bar experience and was pretty darn excited to try Ba-Ba-Reeba.  (Not to mention, I really enjoy saying the name out loud!)  When me and my main squeeze got there, dinnertime on a Tuesday, we were seated immediately on their super-cute patio area, which is adorable namely due to the hanging lanterns strung across it.

    The waitress we had, good god, I wish I could remember her name, was really attentive.  To the point where we wondered if she had mistaken us for some of those secret-shopper type of patrons and was showing off.  She kept the wine recommendations coming, and was always willing to answer our questions when we'd see something we liked on someone else's table and go, "ooh, what's SHE got?"

    We really only tried the tapas, so I can't talk about those cool looking hanging skewers or paellas or anything like that.  Those things were really blasted expensive, so if you are looking for more of an entree than tapas, come on your fat paycheck day.

    However, I was pleasantly stuffed to the gills after splitting a cheese plate (blue cheese, some kind of soft provellone-y type of cheese, and a hard parmesean; the blue cheese was off the hook and the plate came with some kind of super tasty fruit that the waitress said was an apple/pear hybrid-mmm), an order of bacon wrapped dates (slightly disappointing only because the ones at Buehl A Dias have goat cheese in them, which gives them a huge edge over Ba-Ba-Reeba's), garlic potato salad (awesome), lamb chops (BEYOND awesome! They're covered in rosemary and come with a garlic/olive oil/parsely spread to top them with and piquillo peppers...seriously, party in your mouth awesome!), and baked goat cheese.  I couldn't even look at a dessert platter, I was so full.

    And drunk.  I wasn't kidding about the wine recommendations.  I left feeling groovy and would definitely go back, if just for those incredible lamb chops.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/8/2009

    LOVE IT!!
    Its a great place for groups and also a fun night out for two.
    The Sangria is Delicious, I absolutely love the spicy potatoes and the short ribs.
    Make a reservation cause it gets crowded.

    I know it's a lettuce entertain you, whatever it's good!!
    and It is WAY better than Iberico.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/18/2007

    I agree with Jessica M completely - the thing that brings me back to Ba-Ba-Reeba is the food.  It is VERY tasty.  Best bacon-wrapped dates in the city and the beef tenderloin with blue cheese is to die for.  Also, order the goat cheese and if you're in a fowl mood, the chicken empenada.  Tasty-ness!

    The sangria is not the best (PLEASE go to Twist for that).  The crowd/atmosphere?  Ho-hum.  It gets loud and personally, I get a little sick of the typical clientele (and no not because it's "Lincoln Park".  I live there too.  Woo-hoo!).  

    Ba-ba-reeba was once my go-to for special occasions.  Thankfully, since Yelp entered my restaurant-sheltered life,  I realize there are many more NEW places perfect for birthdays, girls' nights out and let's get tipsy Tuesdays!  In a way, I have outgrown my Ba-Ba-Reeba days.  However, I will never turn down one of their a bacon-wrapped dates.  Just the thought makes me salivate.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/22/2007

    In one word, LOVE THIS RESTAURANT.

    Ok, that's three words, but seriously, given my utter and complete love of tapas, aka, tons and tons of dishes with lots and lots of food that you can sample, thus giving you the opportunity to try so many types of food and not get stuffed.  Boy did the Spanish get it right.

    First, start with the flight of wine.  They don't kid around, it's not a wine tasting, this is like 3 almost FULL glasses of wine.  Ranging from Riojas, Tempranillos, and others.  Sure, it makes you look like an alcoholic, but at the end of the day, they're OH SO YUMMY.

    Their cold tapas, Tortilla Espanola, Queso Manchego, Aceitunas, Yum, I love being able to order more than just one dish (being a veggie) and everyone being better than the last.  Their "Pan con Tomate" is heaven.  I don't know how they do it, but it takes me back to Barcelona, where I went to that tiny famous restaurant where they gave me "Pan con Tomate" and I started being all frou frou and slicing the tomato and the server yelled at me for doing it wrong... He he.  

    Their stuffed eggplant is oh so buttery and melts in your mouth with the flavours bursting of cheese and tomatoes (my fave ingredients).  Finally their desserts are just a DREAM.

    There is, of course, a TON of alternatives for meat eaters, given that Spain is such a flesh eating culture.  But even if you're a veggie, a meat eater, or just someone that enjoys GOOD FLAVOURED food, it's fantastic.. I HIGHLY recommend it!!!

    ;)

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/25/2007
    Listed in Superior Eats

    I LOVES me some tapas!  I love the"little-bit-o-this-and-a-little-bit-o-that" kinda eating.  I love spanish wine, I love the whole experience with some flamenco music playing in the background.

    I worked here, like, 10 years ago so it could be said that I'm a little biased, but Ba Ba Reeba has ALWAYS been my favorite tapas place in the city.  I've tried 'em all at some point or another and always felt like coming back here was coming home to what the tapas experience should be.

    My husband and I went back recently and, while it was still really good, I had to shave off a star because it was disappointing in the following ways:

    1.  WHERE'S MY FLAMENCO MUSIC?!?!  WHERE'S MY GYPSY KINGS TO GO WITH MY TAPAS?!?!  I mean, I KNOW that this is a favorite place for the L.P. trixie-set to fuel-up before a night at the clubs but bass-heavy dance-club tunes do NOT go well with a lovely Marces de Caceras rioja.

    2.  What happened to the cumin-mayo on the Pincho de Pollo?  Dude, that was the BEST PART!  I used to eat that stuff on bread at the beginning of my shift and it was heaven.

    3.  No Lubina con Rumescu?  That was, seriously, one the best dishes there and I was jonesin' hard for it.

    This place has always been crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, and this Friday night was certainly no exception.  The wait for a table at 7:30 without a reservation was over an hour.  We ended up getting a couple of seats at the bar and eating there, which was comfortable enough.  The bar staff now mostly consists of guys that used to be bussers in my day - which is a good thing.  They know their stuff, they're very courteous and attentive and their presence there makes much more sense to the feel of the place than mine ever did behind the bar.  It's also good to see that they promote from within.

    Their wines-by-the-glass list has expanded while their Sherry and cordial list has shrunk.  One of the fun things about chatting with the bartenders here in the past was having the opportunity to learn about Spanish wines and spirits.  They still have at least one offering in each category of sherry so I think you might be able to talk them into offering you a flight...on a weeknight.

    Their food menu has expanded a little, too.  Despite the fact that some of my old favorites are gone, I look forward to trying their new offerings in the future and I still think they have the best tapas in town.
    --------------------------------------------------­---------
    UPDATE 10/7/07

    As of September 1st of this year, Cafe BabaReeba is now entirely smoke-free!

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/4/2009

    How fun is this place?
    This was my first venture into the yummy world of tapas and I loved it. Lively atmosphere and lots of people (so make a reservation ahead of time or have some sangria at the bar while you wait for a table, this is a good spot for groups too).
    Speaking of sangria, it's delicious! And there's a bunch of different kinds, you can't go wrong with any of em. The tapas are fab, especially the bacon-wrapped dates. And the cute little dessert tapas were the perfect way to end the meal. On my go-to list for out-of-town guests or just a group of buddies looking for a fun place to eat! Ba-Ba-Reeeeeba!!

  • 2.0 star rating
    12/29/2010

    Food was mediocre. Not even hot..... service was slow even with an empty restaurant.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/27/2007

    Love it--great ambiance, great food, nice sangria.  

    I think anything you get here is good, though one of the steak/blue cheese tapas came with a side of potato chips (ok, I'm sure they have some nice Spanish name), and I wasn't so into that.

    I dooooo have to say something about the white sang': it's nice.  That's it.  I don't think they exactly use the finest Spanish wines (hell, the Latin American ones are yummy and cheap), and if I wanted a Sanoma County white with fruit pieces, I would make it at home.

    And one more note about booze:  I nearly made the egregious error of asking "where's your margarita list"?  In Ohio, we don't so much know the difference in cuisine between different Spanish-speaking nations.   SOOO, don't come here for a marg--you'll probably get tequila and sour mix with a dirty look.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/26/2008

    My friend Caitlyn recently got both a new apartment and a new job, so we went here to celebrate....Spanish-style!

    Came around 6 or 6:30pm on a Sunday evening and were seated immediately in their great outdoor patio space. (Had called ahead asking the wait time for 2 people and was told 30 to 45 minutes--odd? But who am I to question a good thing...)

    What we tried: Bacon-wrapped Dates, Spicy Potatoes, Baked Goat Cheese, some kind of salmon? and Garlic Potato Salad. We had ordered the chicken & chorizo too, but unfortunately we had finished eating everything else and it still hadn't come--so we canceled it. (To their credit, though, about 5 minutes after we canceled, they brought it over--but we were way too stuffed at that point.)

    The dates, potatoes and potato salad were AMAZING--I would definitely order all of those again. Caitlyn liked the goat cheese, but I would've preferred a more solid cheese (like a fresh mozzarella) if you're going to bake it in marinara sauce, ya know? Neither of us were a fan of the salmon--but I don't much care for it to begin with.

    Also tried the peach sangria--which was tasty but tremendously watered down by all the ice (if you get sangria, ask them to go easy on the ice!). And since the chicken&chorizo was late, they comped our dessert. We tried the Truffle--which was TINY, but a great flavor sample to end the meal.

    Overall, had a GREAT meal--loved the whole "sampling" idea of tapas. Can't wait to go back again!

  • 2.0 star rating
    5/19/2009

    Quite honestly, I don't really get all the hype.  My friend and I went there with high hopes, and we left very disappointed.  Not only was the food mediocre, it wasn't even real tapas food!

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/25/2009 Updated review

    Just went back here and still think its a great place - albeit expensive for some of the tapas. (I've heard that the Happy Hour lunch prices are a super deal.... look into this).  The sangria is well worth the trip alone!  I think this is gonna be my new fav spot to meet people for dessert too.  Try out the caramel banana dessert - toasted caramel over a banana with icecream on the side. So yummy!

    3.0 star rating
    4/23/2009 Previous review
    Summary: Food is pretty good - not truly authentic tapas, but a good spin on the classics. Price is… Read more
  • 3.0 star rating
    9/5/2007

    I love tapas - in fact, I love everything about tapa's restaurants.  Ba-Ba-Reeba is good, but it's not great.  It's no Courtyard (WeHo fans).  Everyone and their mother as been here so nothing is earth shattering.  

    Ba-Ba-Reeba is best enjoyed with a lively, fun group group.  Patio seating is available, the dining room can be a bit loud.

    If I were in charge of choosing a restaurant, I would not nominate this place.  However, if I were invited, I would have no qualms about going again.

    The food is very average but the atmosphere is fun and light hearted.  
    Decent wine selection, average service.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/30/2008

    Quickly becoming one of my top restaurants!

    Now, I WANT to have a problem with this place, just for the reason that it is part of the Lettuce Entertain You Empire, which employed my sister and best friend. After years of being subject to their stories of demanding secret shoppers, unfair requests, and overall assholish-ness, I really wanna hate Lettuce, But I can't . They know what they're doing.

    The tapas are YUMMY- I get the beef skewer w/horseradish sauce. It is like a little bite of heaven. The goat cheese marinara is lovely, too. Their spicy potatoes are so yummy as well. Order these with a pitcher of sangria (coming in at least 5 different flavors) and it is the perfect size meal. No overdoing it, no leftovers.

    Then hit the dessert menu. Tapas desserts. How novel and portion appropriate- lest we all become mega mooses!  I usually try to get the tres leche cake and truffle and share with a friend. It's like a little taste of the big O.

    Heed everyone's advice-make reservations, unless you don't have a problem leaning on the bar to eat (it's actually not so bad). You will not get a table even on a "slow" night if you don't.

    I'm just into a place that doesn't try to feed you like a zoo animal, with grossly overstocked plates. America's fat, yo. Start eating tapas.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/12/2007

    I went here for a birthday party which was great because we all got to try so many dishes. My recommendations are the fillet with blue cheese, passion fruit sangria, and goat cheese. The wine and cheese were both quality.

    The restaurant itself was very busy. We wanted to be sat outside but had no luck. We were in the lower portion just next to the patio. Thank  goodness there wasn't room outside! When we left, we walked through the patio and it smelled like wet socks out there! The humidity was high that day and tons of people moving around + food smell + enclosed patio = disaster.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/10/2010

    This place is awesome for tapas. I take my family and friends here all of the time. it is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, so the prices are a bit high, but you're paying for quality food. They have great service, a big bar, and a huge menu. There is often a wait time on the weekends but again, it is well worth the wait and price. The atmosphere is nice and relaxed but I wouldn't roll in here in sweatpants. They have tapas, paella, paella cooking classes, sangria and great desserts. If you have a large group, it is fun to order a lot of dishes to share and explore their menu. Any of the "recommended" dishes on their menu are tasty. If you can, make a reservation and enjoy!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/17/2009

    My friend and I went here last night. The paella was DELICIOUS- However, my taste may have been a little skewed by the 40 minute wait and 6 glasses of sangria.

    I have two complaints. Despite the many open tables, they decided to sit us between two other couples. It was uncomfortably close and I was intimately involved in my neighbors conversation. Other complaint: watch out for the mysterious clumpy white sauce they dump on top of the salsa that accompanies the calamari. Its nasty.

    The paella doesn't have a large variety of seafood in it (only shrimp and mini-mussels) but it is very good. I enjoyed it. The sangria is excellent.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/6/2013
    2 check-ins

    we ordered something which is the bacon woth dates inside. it's sooo good!!! also recommend the lamb kobab, very yummy. didn't think i will be full, but actually only after a few dishes, im pretty full.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/14/2007

    I've become a Cafe Ba-ba-Reeba snob.  This means that if a friend says "Let's go for tapas" and means a Tapas restaurant that is NOT Cafe Ba-ba-Reeba, I say NO.  (Maybe I'm closing myself off to other great Tapas experiences, but I don't feel like I am.)  Sangria - SO good.  Tapas - SO good.  (Recommendations: the skirt steak with shallots and herb butter sauce, chicken/chorizo sausage skewers, tomato bread, goat cheese/marina sauce with garlic bread.)  Desserts - small (yet incredible).  But you don't go to a Tapas restaurant for dessert, silly.  If you do, then it's more of an appetizer dessert.   Anyhow, fun in the summer because they have a little outdoor area.  Plenty of other bars around the area to wander off to when you're done eating their most glorious food.

    **dates wrapped in bacon: these things should come with a warning label.  they are dangerously addictive.**

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/30/2008

    This is one of my favoriate tapas places. I love the variety for both food and sangria. I've tried so many things here before. I think tapas are best experienced with groups of 4. I've had this one great dish, that is similar to paella but comes in this huge black caldran, like some witch's brew. It's delicious, but if there are 4 people, only order 2 servings. It's a lot of food and you want to be able to try other stuff.
    The short ribs are delicious and fall off the bone. There is this one dish with beef tenderloin that hangs on big skewer. The sangrias are all tasty.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/30/2007

    After reading the mixed reviews about this place,  I decided to give a try since I was going to be in Chicago. The atmosphere is definitely good if you are with a bunch of friends and just want to have a great time.

    However, their tapa's are average. Nothing really stood out that made us scream, " this is good!" In fact, we found some of the tapa's to be a bit on the bland side, such as the lobster paella. I had to keep adding salt to this dish in order to become more flavorful.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/30/2007

    If you never believe another word I say - trust me when I say -

    TRY THE BACON WRAPPED DATES!!!

    It sounds weird, but you will send me a note thanking me for this recommendation.  This is one of the only reasons I come back to this Lincoln Park eatery time and time again.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/28/2010

    LOVE their tapas and sangria. Tried the passionfruit sangria last time and even the men at our table who "didn't want anything fruity" loved it!
    The service is always awesome and the food is great. It also always seem like after ordering plate after plate, that the bill is going to add up to be astronomical and it never is! Very reasonable. With a table of six, with several pitchers of that passionfruit sangria and numerous plates of tapas, it usually comes to about $35/person.
    Definitely make a reservation, though, because there is usually a wait on the weekends.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/10/2007

    Decent/reliable tapas.  I always preferred other Tapas places in Chicago over this place, though...  Service isn't overly exceptional here... Menu is nice, and they always have a special or two that's maybe worth trying.

    They have a mid-day special that's pretty decent.  A $3 Tapas menu if you sit at the bar, I think it ends at 6:30 or so.  Runs every day.  It's a good Sunday afternoon festivity.  Though all in all, more fun for just hanging out.  

    The menu is so unexciting that I can't think of anything that's so good that I'd order two of in one sitting, which just kinda means you're eating for the sake of eating.  I like the potato bravas, even though they're pretty standard and I can replicate them at home...   I've had REALLY bad squid there, rubbery and tasteless.  The queso dip is decent but not the best I've had.  Meatballs are good.  

    On New Years Day they apparently always have a special where if you show up in your PJs to eat, you get a gift card equal to the amount of your check that day.

    You can make a reservation on Opentable so you don't have to wait.  There's never a wait at the bar for the special, though.

    Sangria is OK, too.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/27/2007

    This is a great place to take out of town visitors. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very warm and inviting, and the tapas make it easy for everyone to find something that they like. I haven't been to many tapas restaurants (pretty much just this one and Iberico), and while Iberico seems to be more 'authentic,' I like Ba-Ba-Reeba because of the atmosphere AND because they take reservations.

    My favorites on the menu are the citrus cured salmon, rioja short ribs, chicken paella, and my absolute favorite are the stuffed mushrooms. I could live off of them!

    A fun restaurant to go with a group, drink some sangria, and share. This is probably why I have been there for so many damned bachelorette parties...

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/5/2010

    I feel like every time I come here, I just end up eating the patatas bravas, the goat cheese with bread and sangria.  I can't say I am ever not satisfied with these tried and true staples.  The potatoes come with this spicy mayo that at times runs out faster than the potatoes themselves, but if you ask for more, they will give you a plate of the stuff which is pretty much 5 times more than you normally get.  We also tried the fried green peppers.  They come out looking like straight serranos, which was slightly intimidating, but they really are no hotter than a sweet pepper.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/24/2009

    I eat at Ba-Ba-Reeba quite often.  It is one of my favorite tapas restaurants in the city as far as the food goes but the downfall is it's usually too crowded and they pack you in so tighly you can hear everything the people next to you are talking about.  

    The tapas we always get are the garlic potato salad, the seared sausage plate, the beef tendorloin with blue cheese, and the calamari.  They are so good and I have never been dissappointed with the food or service.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/24/2010

    This place may not be the most authentic tapas around but the food is no doubt good.  A great place to put down some sangria and dine with your friends.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/29/2008

    I've been to Spain a couple of times (once for an extended period of time) and so when I can find a good tapas place, I'm pretty happy. Ba-Ba has good to great tapas (yes, get the bacon wrapped dates), though it's a little more expensive than it should be.  Actually, that goes for most tapas places in the US (um, they're supposed to be cheap, remember??).  So whatever.

    This place is usually pretty busy, and I normally call ahead to check the wait or make a reservation, but this last time, we went on a spur-of-the-moment type deal.  The host said it'd be a "short" wait, and by short, they indicated that it'd be under 5 minutes.  Well... it was more like an hour.  I wasn't super annoyed: I wasn't in a hurry for anything that night, and we might've just had terrible timing as it looked like a huge influx of two-tops were just recently taken.  I politely asked the host twice during our wait when our table would be up, so they knew we were waiting.  Finally, I think they just felt bad because they gave us a four-top (only 2 people in my party).  Also, to make up for it, they comped us a whole pitcher of sangria AND gave us THREE desserts!  Ok, that made up for the wait, and I left the server a fat tip (which would've gone to the sangria alone anyway).

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/24/2008

    I absolutely love Tapas!!  I find myself going to Tapas restaurants more than any other type of restaurant. I love small dishes. I love different takes on traditional Tapas and I love new inventive dishes (that probably by definition, are more of an appetizer than a Tapas dish).

    I continually find myself going back to Ba-Ba.  I absolutely love the quality of food and the way they present the dishes.  I'll admit, they're not the cheapest place. But I never feel like I'm getting ripped off due to the food quality.

    No place is without critique. So I'd say the biggest negative of Ba-Ba is that it gets REALLY busy. If you can, go at an off hour, your experience will be much better. During prime time hours you can expect long waits. But the place does a festive atmosphere and a nice bar, I've always had a good time even waiting for my table.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/2/2008

    Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm just not that impressed with the dishes served here. Like other tapas restaurants in Chicago, Ba-Ba-Reeba seems to be more concerned with the concept than with the food. Give me fresh food that doesn't need gloppy goo to make it taste good.

    Ba-Ba-Reeba's Serrano ham and tomato bread with manchego is the exception that proves the point. Yum!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    1/20/2010

    Probably one of my favorite places in Chicago because they actually have sangria on tap. The tapas are excellent, proportionally small (hence the name, tapas). I'd also recommend the paellas which are great to share. The sangria is one of the best I've ever had. They're very generous on their servings and I'd definitely reccommend getting a pitcher when you're with a big group.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/24/2010

    Surprisingly huge inside, yet with a cute/homey feel.

    Local Tomato Salad With Arugula & Migas - excellent!
    Serrano Ham, Salchichon, Chorizo & Manchego - love all things ham, so this was great.
    Roast Dates With Bacon & Apple Vinaigrette - first time I ever had bacon-wrapped dates; very tasty.
    Rioja Short Ribs, Manchego Mashed Potatoes - very well cooked ribs (tender, not tough) and sinfully good mashed potatoes.
    Shrimp With Garlic, Olive Oil, Red Pepper Flakes - bit too oily for my liking.

    mango sorbet (had a bite of my friend's; perfect ending to a meaty meal) + cake (nice; I've had better cake elsewhere)

    Decently priced for tapas. There were two of us, and we each ended up paying about $30 each.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/19/2012

    Went here for the first time last Friday night, and it didn't disappoint. We had the mushroom toast (great), the calamari (yummy), the chicken empanada (great), and the short ribs (okay). The menu is large so I hope to go back and try more!

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/30/2007

    First visit - fantastic! We had lamb with couscous, ham and chicken croquettes, and goat cheese with marinara. All were heavenly, plus good sangria and good service.
    Second visit - mediocre. The lamb is off the menu so we had chicken skeweres with sausage, skirt steak, and empanadas. All were so-so.

    Based on my first trip I couldnt wait to go back, now I will go back but I'm in no rush. I guess it's hit or miss depending on what you order.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/9/2007
    Listed in My Visitor Spots

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is one of my favorite places to take out-of-towners.  My friends and family from other mid-western cities aren't usually familiar with tapas, so I love to introduce it to them with BaBaReeba.  On top of that, it usually ends up being a very cheap meal compared to other establishments (I usually get out of there fat drunk and dumb for $35-40 a person).

    Personal faves:
    tenderloin with blue cheese
    spicy potatoes
    garlic aioli potatoes (though we usually only get one type and we predominantly end up with the spicy)
    the manchengo cheese and spinach stuffed mushrooms
    bacon wrapped dates (who knew dates could be so delicious)
    the smoked salmon with cucumber bread
    the tomato bread ($1.50!)
    any of the paellas (but order early - it takes a little while)

    Polish it off with any of the desserts (my personal favorite being the bananas).

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/22/2008

    This place is my favorite for tapas in Lincoln Park.  

    It also hold a good place in my list, being the first place where  my fiance and I went on our first date.  

    I love their patatas bravas, and their sangria is great!  I highly recommend this place for some great food and atmosphere.  Plus the service is excellent.

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/17/2009
    Listed in Se habla Espanol

    I have to admit: it wasn't as bad as I am going to make it sound. Mainly because of the company, our discussion and the fact that we didn't have to pay for the meal.....
    AND you can also so some window-shopping on Halsted (even though I will always like the French wording so much better: 'window-licking' - so accurate!! It definitely brings to mind desperate fashionistas pulling their hair and drooling on the pavement in front of a pair a Louboutin. Not that I don't subscribe and understand but I would like to think I am a little better and classy than that).
    Anyway..........I am side-tracked and so are you, my beloved readers. Back to food.
    I am always a little cautious when I enter a huge place like this. How can you keep up with this? And for a Monday night it was pretty busy. Wow.
    The walls of our room were lovely decorated with tiles azulejos style (but it is a  Portuguese thing) and the ceiling was a wonderful mix of wooden beams and raw concrete blocs. Hmmm....not sure about the geographical origin of this but I guess it is pretty international.
    The menu:
    Tapas are Spanish small bites. Right? Well CAfe Ba-Ba-Reeba introduces to the world the Tapas pintxos or small tapas! A bite of food for $1.50. Who knew? They were tasty but had nothing Spanish to them. And I guess that is my main complain about the place. They try to give a Spanish twist to everything but it's not. Chorizo and dates with plantains? Ahi Tuna? not sure....
    The cheese plate was a joke with all the items carelessly thrown on a plate and sweaty cheese. Yuck. The roasted dates were awful and totally bland. The patatas bravas were really good and it was the only thing that really pleased me. They tasted just like I remember them from Southern Spain.
    Good desserts. The 'chocolate' option is super moist and tasty. But not Spanish.
    My other complaint: it's damn expensive.
    At this rate I'd much rather book a flight to Barcelona or Sevilla. Or relive my sunny memories. Or make my own tortilla.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/2/2007

    Went out with a group here, I was expecting some sort of 50's diner from the name, to my surprise this was Tapas!   I don't do tapas much so maybe I'm easily impressed but I thought the place was great:  very lively and crowded, good serivice, reasonable prices, and a wide variety of interesting flavorful choices to pass around the table.  I can see how this is a better place for a group just to share a taste of all the different dishes.    I talked everyone else into the bacon wrapped dates but it was a popular item once digested.   Fun place

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/22/2010

    I love this place, food is always good, Sangria is easy and not badly priced and I will say, its a great first date place to go.  I will say its my favorite Tapas place in the city of Chicago.  I do recommend making reservations.  If you do not want to be at a place with a huge crowd and that can be loud, I would not recommend it for you.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/26/2010

    Great atmosphere, especially on Sundays when they have the Flamenco dancers.  Everything was outstanding, the only downfall is the siting area outside- not very welcoming, could use a little update.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/1/2007

    I'm ashamed to admit that Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was my first tapas experience, however I was not disappointed!  Everything we tried was great, and the sangria is positively to die for!  It did seem a little expensive, but the food was worth it.  The atmosphere, on the other hand, was not too great.  Despite making reservations we had one of the crappiest tables in the house, right next to the smoldering kitchen and next to the walkway to the rest of the restaurant so people kept knocking my chair every time they walked by.  It definitely won't stop me from going back to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, but I know now to ask for a table away from the kitchen.

    I was surprised how busy it was, so if you go make a reservation!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/31/2009

    I love this place. I've tried Twist and Tapas Barcelona and this is still my favorite tapas place. Tapas Barcelona is a close second, but Twist is wayy behind both of these restaurants. I went here on a Tuesday night, which was nice because usually during the weekends it is really really crowded. Between me and my 3 other friends we ordered 9 hot tapas and 4 desserts. I love trying a bunch of different dishes and that's why I really enjoy Tapas and dimsum style places and family style.
     The 9 tapas we ordered included: spicy potatoes (prob my favorite dish here, the potatoes come out really hot and crispy and the sauce is delicious), the bacon wrapped dates (i absolutely love this combination, if any of you enjoy sweet bacon this is the dish for you), the short ribs (omg the meat just melts in your mouth), the stuffed mushrooms with spinach and manchego (so good), the garlic shrimp (the shrimp was fresh and it was tasty but in comparison to the other dishes this was just ok), the scallops with pine nuts and pesto (i thought this was a very creative dish, the combination of pesto with pine nuts, tomatoes, raisins with scallops I thought worked very well together), the mushroom empanada (good but nothing special), and the beef with the chips (the beef was very tender but really just couldn't beat the tenderness of the short ribs), we had the baked goat cheese (which usually i love but i must admit tapas barcelona and even twist has a better baked goat cheese, i think the tomato sauce here was just so-so).
    For dessert we had the tres leches cake, the truffle chocolate cake, the butterscotch custard, and the caramel marcona almond tart. My favorite was the caramel marcona almond tart but I have very biased towards caramel, but the caramel was really chewy just the way i like it. My second favorite was the butterscotch custard, but it is a bit on the sweet side but really was extremely butterscotch flavored. The tres leches and truffle chocolate cake were nothing to rave about and I would not order them again.
    The service is really good the food all came out really hot, our waiter was friendly. The restaurant is trendy and clean. Overall a great experience and I can't wait to bring some of my other friends here to try it out.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/27/2009

    First of all, it's fun to say "Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba" over and over again. Now that I've gotten that out of the way...

    I've been here before a few random times when I first moved to the city. I can't remember those times too well, mostly because I was with people I didn't know very well -- or people whom I no longer talk to -- trying to be social but instead getting drunk off sangria on the patio and having a typical summer weekend day.

    I came here again last Sunday with some out-of-town friends, hoping to have a seat outside in celebration of the 70 degree day. Sunshine and sangria for the perfect Sunday.

    Of course, the freaking patio was closed. There was next to nobody in this place. We were hurried back to the back room, full of crazy art and a pig statue (which made me keep on thinking of the SWINE FLU!).

    My waiter was either new or stoned -- I think it was the later because he was pretty freaking weird (and I like weird people, but I wasn't loving this dude). The pace was slow, the colors were light -- and I just wanted to freaking be outside the whole time I was in here. Oh well.
    Also, they stuck us on a perimeter table (not a fan), and there were some really fucking annoyingly loud people next to us (hope they got the swine flu in their chorizo!).

    Food = amazing. Did a bunch of stuff....chicken and chorizo skewer things, goat cheese in tomato sauce, chicken empanada, calamari, skirt steak, some kind of salty ham (amazing), and a paella. Said paella was amazing and had a smoky taste...and I wish I had a never-ending supply of this inside of my oven --- just open up the door and, hey!, paella! how much would that would rock?

    good thing that we didn't eat outside because it started downpouring shortly before we left.

    oh, and what the hell is a Ba-Ba-Reeba?

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/10/2010

    Went there on a rainy and cold Sunday night with a fairly large group ... and if it weren't for our lively banter, we could've possibly heard a pin drop. I can imagine this place is much livelier on other nights, so I cannot really comment on the vibe of the place. The decor was nice though and it felt sort of cozy. The food was really excellent and every single tapas dish we ordered was delicious. Thumbs up for the Sangria too ... and double thumbs up for our waiter who kept topping off our Sangria from our pitcher. I'll definitely be going back.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/10/2012

    Once upon a time, I loved Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. I don't think it's gotten any worse but the restaurant scene in Chicago has just gotten so much better. Still love the goat cheese in tomato sauce though.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/25/2007

    4.5 stars.  Is this the best sangria in the city? I think so.

    Fantastic food, fantastic atmosphere, and good prices and service.  This place is like a party and somewhere to go for a celebration.  I've made it a point to go to their other location in Las Vegas even.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/13/2009

    Great and cheaper than other tapas places I've seen

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/10/2010
    1 check-in

    Well this place is awesome!! Great time for a group of close friends to enjoy some great food and great sangria! Highly recommend trying the black raspberry sangria! On the tapas side of things, we always start with the potato salad and the always amazing calmari. The braised lamb is just out if this world! So many options at Reeba and wish I could have them all. Once again we had a great time and before we knew it we had killed 3 pitchers of sangria and enjoyed some great food. I will be back of course.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/28/2010

    We went for a birthday dinner and I thought the food was good.  The environment in the restaurant is pretty cool and the wait staff was good.  We tried their sangria, which was ok, and ordered a few tapas before we had paella.  My parents said it is not exactly like a restaurant in Spain, which had awesome paella, but it was still pretty good.

    This restaurant is definitely on my list to revisit one day and it is a good restaurant to visit with a bunch of friends.  Good for larger groups.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/21/2008

    Cool place.  Went there for a double and ended up getting there a little early than our friends.  The wait was about an hour so we went to the bar to have a few.  Within 5 minutes of arriving and receiving our drinks a waiter came up to us and asked if we wanted a table.  Who's going to turn that down.  We got to skip the hour wait for some real good food.

    Great portions and great service at a decent price.  Our bar tab actually was double our food tab lol. damn passion fruit sangria

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/10/2007

    If you love sangria you have to try this place!  I've only had the pleasure of tasting the red, white, and peach sangria, but I'm still young.  

    I had never had tapas before coming here, but I had always heard how great their food was so I gave it a try.  There are so many choices on the menu, and you could definitely feel lost if you were a newbie if the waiters didn't lead you in the right direction.  They offer 'safe' suggestions on what most people like.  If you decide you like something, your server will offer choices based on that.  

    There was a pretty long wait, but they usher you over to one of the bars, and before you know it, your table is ready.  It's a great place to go if you have a large group (6-10 people). .

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/11/2010
    1 check-in

    Out of all the Tapas restaurants in Chicago... this one takes the cake! By far the best atmosphere and best quality tapas around. This place is a lettuce entertain you restaurant, and it gets very busy. I like the atmosphere because it's busy and bustling. The Sangria is awesome, and the wait staff is always very attentive. Sitting at the bar can get annoying because it gets so busy, people are always trying to get drinks, which makes it kind of annoying to eat at. Definitely has a cozy feel to the place and the paella is pretty good too. Note: I usually eat vegetarian and so I have not eaten any of the meat dishes here. It would be a good idea to make reservations if you plan on going.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/9/2010

    My mom and I ate here for dinner after a recommendation from a family friend. We  were in the mood for sangria so this place was right what we were looking for. In the taxi after telling the driver we were headed to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, he tried suggesting another tapas bar that wouldn't be as noisy/crowded. Since my mom and I sometimes like people watching, we  didn't have a problem with Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba being a hot spot.

    On a Thursday night, the tables were filled and it was pretty loud. We could still have a conversation without yelling, and I thought the crowd kind of added to the atmosphere. The staff was attentive, and the tapas came out staggered so we were not bombarded at once with all of the plates. We ordered 1 cold and 3 hot plates, and 4 plates between 2 people was plenty. We also split the sampler dessert order and all 6 options were delish.

    If you don't mind a little noise, this is a fun place to check out in Lincoln Park. We may have especially enjoyed our visit due to splitting a pitcher of sangria :) The pitchers offer about 6-8 glasses.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/25/2009

    I have been here a handful of times for dinner with a group of friends and it never disappoints! Its lively, the services is great, and the food is probably some of the best Tapas this Chicagoan is going to get. Its sad and true. We recently went back for Brunch and it was perfect! Chorizo, potatoes, Olives, and Mimosa = Happiness. I can't wait to go back again.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/3/2009

    I guess you can say I was soo moved by this place that I had to break my yelp virginity and actually write a review!

    My gfs and I decided to leave the pleasant 70-80 degree weather of SoCal and visit an old college gf in Chicago this past weekend. On our last night there, we wanted to do a nice dinner before a night out in the town. Unfortunately we got our day started super late (3 pm!) but our gf heard a lot of great things about this place and the deciding factor to come here - they close at midnight!

    We made it to our 10:30 pm reservation, where the restaurant was fairly occupied, and were graciously received by our waiter. He was very attentive and made a lot of recommendations, so we took his word on it.

    What we got (in the order it was received):
    White Mango Sangria (Sangria special of the day/week/month?) - this was hands down the BEST sangria we've ever had! We loved it so much, we ordered two pitchers!
    Ahi Tuna Salad - very good
    Stuffed Mushrooms - LOVED IT!
    Chicken Empanada  - very good
    Braised Short Ribs w/ mashed potatoes - LOVED IT!
    Skirt Steak w/ Scallions - very good
    Shrimp in Garlic, Olive Oil sauce - very good
    Spicy Potatoes in Tomato Aioli Sauce - the aioli sauce was very good but we were disappointed with this dish, perhaps if we had received it as one of the first dishes rather than last we would have liked it more. It was decent but definitely not as WOW as the previous dishes.
    Meatballs in Sherry Tomato Sauce - this too was a disappointment, we ordered this one last minute after seeing someone else order it and just remembered we wanted to try it too. we probably should have ordered something else when our waiter said it was good but not one of the best, he was pretty eh about it.
    Butterscotch Custard Cream - our waiter was pretty adamant about this but it was WAY too sweet for our taste - and I really love my sweets too!
    Chocolate Tres Leches - LOVED IT!
    Cherry Bread Pudding a la mode - LOVED IT!

    Our waiter sensed our disappointment with our last few dishes, and being that it was our first time there, he comped the meatballs and all of our desserts!

    We definitely loved this place and will have to come back the next time we're in town! I just checked their website and they apparently have a location in Las Vegas too, so we're going to try that location as well (hopefully its on the same level as this one!)

    Some last minute observations: seems like a great place for groups, especially for the GIRLS! (we noticed a lot of all girl tables...)

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/16/2010

    YUM! My favorite tapas restaurant in the city. The sangria is good and the bacon wrapped dates are a must! Their short ribs are also DELICIOUS! Get a reservation for the weekends because it's always busy.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/22/2007
    1 check-in

    I don't actually "like" Cafe Ba-ba-reeba that much. It has good'ish food, and good'ish drinks, but there are better tapas bars in the city. Cafe Iberico is MUCH better, in my opinion, and cheaper on all counts. Ba-ba-reeba is always crowded (as is Iberico), but at least Iberico is worth the wait! The one thing I'll give to Ba-ba-reeba is that they do take reservations (whereas Iberico doesn't), which earns them some major points for me.

    Otherwise, I'd prefer to go elsewhere when in the mood for tapas. But I won't boycott Ba-ba-reeba or anything--the food is good enough that I'll go if someone else makes me. But I probably wouldn't voluntarily organize my own get-together there.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/13/2010

    Great atmosphere!  Perfect spot for a fun night out with friends.  If you're a "foodie" then this might not be the spot for your pretentious palette.  If you like to have fun, enjoy the company of good friends and appreciate city night life, then Cafe BBR is for you.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/16/2007

    Any place i keep going back to deserves 5 stars in my book. Really tasty, diverse tapas menu. Like everyone has said, get the bacon date wraps. we were floored by them. But! another favorite of ours is the mini lobster tails.  One time they came out alittle overcooked, but every other time has been delicious- once we even ordered them twice in one meal!

    UPDATE: mini lobster tails- gone. a moment of silence...........................................­...........so the replacement is this wad of lobster trapped in a cage stringy fried things....Different: yes. Better: no way. Interesting: surely.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/19/2007
    Listed in Top Restaurants

    Let me preface this review with this... I want to give them 4 stars and possibly 5  but the service we had left a lot to be desired.

    With that said, the food was great.  We ordered quite a few different plates so that we could sample as much as possible.  Things I originally thought I would not even want to touch were great.  

    Bacon wrapped dates - creamy and crunchy... ohhh so good.  
    Beef skewer, horseradish cream, red onions... TASTY!!!
    Spicy potatoes with tomato alioli... A must have!

    If you're looking to sample a lot, check this place out from 4pm-6pm daily for $3 tapas.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/23/2010

    Really great Tapas, though not incredibly unique, per se. It was packed on a Wednesday night, but the service was impeccable. AND, they took off our desserts for it being our first time AND our Sangria bcs we were sat 15 minutes late.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/24/2010

    Amazing food. Amazing fun. Amazing prices.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/24/2007

    My first tapas experience was at Ba Ba Reeba, and it's been the best I've found in Chicago so far. I've made reservations every time I've gone, and we've always gotten in a little early. If you plan on walking in, however, be aware that the place is pretty consistently packed. On weekends, you probably don't have a prayer to get in in under an hour. Waitstaff is quite friendly, though the hostesses are sometimes a bit snooty, and the place is always loud and boisterous without being too irritating.

    The tapas here are varied and great. My personal favorite is the garlic potato salad, a traditional dish, that's packed with flavors of garlic, chives, and dill. The beef tenderloin with horseradish was perfectly cooked and the horseradish sauce was fresh and strong. And I really dug the chorizo plate for something a little less flashy.

    If there's one thing that I was unimpressed with, it was the paella, strangely enough. I'm a stickler for a good paella, and compared with the tapas, it seemed mediocre. They offer three different kinds, however, so maybe it was just the one we tried.

    I would be remiss, of course, to speak of Ba Ba Reeba without mentioning their extensive selection of sangria. Really delicious, flavorful sangria with lots of fruit. A tad expensive, but that's to be expected. And their desserts are not terribly creative, but are perfectly-sized and cheap, and they hit the spot after such a huge meal. Highly recommended.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/13/2010

    Delicious food one of my favorite places to eat The tapas do fill u up and their red meats r the best next to Brazzas

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/1/2009

    I love this place.  It is very unassuming and offers a little bit of everything.  When you want to go out for drinks and socialize this is a great place.  I come here everytime I am back in Chicago.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/2/2009

    I can't help myself but to keep going back here.  It is a great environment, I love their tapas.  I tend to order the warm ones and I love their Paella ... especially the seafood one!  One of the last times I was here, I ordered the butterscotch mini dessert because the waiter recommeded it and it was to die for.  I would have never ordered it unless he would have recommended it.  They also have a ton of fun events.  I have done a wine tasting there.  Recently I took a Paella cooking class and it was more like a tasting while they showed us how to make Paella.  I really enjoyed the event but what I learned it that I will let them fix me the Paella.  :)  They have tons of other events and a make your own Bloody Mary bar I am going to have to try!

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/2/2010

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is a perfectly fine restaurant, but I don't really get what the big deal is. People wait and wait at this place for...what? Mediocre tapas and overpriced booze? I know I'm in the minority because, apparently, everyone else LOVES this joint. I just don't think it's that amazing, and it's certainly not worth waiting for a table.

    If you absolutely MUST give it a go, try to stop by in between meal times. The service is faster, and you'll stand a decent chance of getting a table on their patio which is nice. Also, their sangria is pretty decent.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/2/2010
    Listed in Neutral Reviews

    Decent.  I went here to meet a friend.  Initially, I was impressed with the atmosphere, but then we got seated in the far back room where it had more of a sterile environment.  We ordered the Sangria, which I must say, I've had better, but if you've never had Sangria, I guess its an OK introductory.  The food was fine, nothing spectacular.  Being at a Tapas Bar I was really looking for some bold flavors, but found none.  I think this place is only popular for it's trendy atmosphere.  If you know what good Spanish food is like you might find yourself a little disappointed.  Anyway, I give it a "decent" rating, I know that there is better out there, especially in Chicago.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/18/2010

    Awesome.  Went here on the recommendation of an employee, with a group of friends on a Friday.  We had a reservation but were late, the restaurant still easily accomodated us when I called to let them know we were late.  

    The waitress was so helpful giving us recommendations--we tried a little bit of everything!  Goat cheese pinxtos, great!  Blue cheese wrapped tenderloins, crab and shrimp dip, grilled shrimp, beef tenderloin stuffed pepper, calamari...I don't think there was anything we didn't like.  

    We sucked down the red sangria (a pitcher or 2!) and enjoyed hanging out there in general.  It was really busy and we were there about 3 hours and were not rushed at all; which was appreciated.  Final tab more than reasonable.  So glad we tried it, will definitely be back!

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/28/2010

    I want to give this place another try but I really don't feel like going back.  I went for dinner and the dishes were not amazing or spectacular.  I've definitely had better and that was at Cafe Iberico.  The service was good, the ambiance is nice but the food did not do it for me.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    2/17/2010

    This place is a great way to start a love affair with tapas. I have been there more times than I can count and have NEVER been disappointed. They have lots of vegetarian options (Mushroom Empanada--mmmmm) and also great meats. The sangria is delicious and can be purchased by the pitcher, glass, or half-pitcher. Brunch here is delicious and surprisingly inexpensive. They have $3 bar tapas at various times during the week--check their websites to see exact hours. Sitting in the bar is a pleasant experience and who can argue with $3 tapas? Come here with friends, order a bunch of tapas and share!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/9/2012

    Love this place!!! If you can go on the summer, be sure to get a table outside! The drinks are also great!

  • 2.0 star rating
    2/10/2010
    1 check-in

    We went as a big group of 12, so we ordered a lot of food. We ordered patatas bravas, queso de cabra al horno, emapanada de setas, croquetas de pollo y jamon, datiles con cocino, emapanada de carne, calamares a la plancha, and paella de mariscos. I thought everything tasted good, but not amazing. The paella was very disappointing though, dry with few seafood.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/10/2010

    Cafe BaBaReeba has been a family favorite, and personally, a date favorite for the past 2 years. I love this place.

    The service is always amazing.

    The food is always delicious.... and get this, if you don't like it, they will happily replace it with another item for no charge.

    Please understand, the staff here is there to make you happy.

    I will admit, I have had dishes here that weren't that great, but that is one out of then ten dishes I loved, and I refuse to judge this place by one bad dish, even when they replaced it with another great dish for no charge and even brought desert to us for no charge due to the mishap.

    If you don't like one thing, try something else, its a huge menu!!

    I guarantee you will find plenty of items to tickle your taste buds... and if your starting to get nervous about the food, order some Sangria and relax!! Have a good time!! Do not come to Cafe BaBaReeba if you are in a rush, I have never spent less than 2 hours here and I do not recommend any less.

    Enjoy!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/19/2006

    I wish I lived down the street from here.  I would eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at this place.  This was my first visit here.  Place is huge, lot of people during the weekend, wait was about 30-45 minutes.  At first, I thought it was unusual for valet service to take money in the beginning and ask for $12 when the sign said $8?

    The food is great and it's a really fun place.  I love tapas!  because you get to try a little bit of everything and enjoy some great sangria.  Passion Fruit Sangria was the best, I tried about 5-6 different dishes.  

    I think tapas were not as good as Cafe Iberico.  Favorites include shrimp with garlic, beef skewer w/ horseradish cream and red onions, also liked the special mahi mahi dish with couscous.   I didn't like their salad : (  
    I asked for taste of each sangria they had and liked passion fruit one.
    The desserts are sooo good too so remember to save room!
    I liked caramelized banana with ice cream and chocolate cake truffle (highly recommend).

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/25/2007

    First off, I was happily surprised that this place came in as affordably as it did/ We had a birthday party of 20 people, with plenty of tapas and sangria to float us out of there, and the bill with gratuity somehow came to only $40.

    Having never been to Spain, I cannot comment on the authenticity of the tapas here. However, as a standalone restaurant, I was very happy with the menu and the items I tried. The tenderloin and paella are musts, as of course is the sangria.

    I agree with most other comments on Ba-Ba regarding the atmosphere. It's loud and crowded, so worked great for our larger group. I can see the place being a little annoying for a date or small group so keep that in mind. I'll be back with a big group...

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/18/2010

    We went here with a large group - 12 people, all vegetarian.  We had plenty to eat, lots of variety of plates and desserts, which all came out quickly and in intervals.  Plus a ton of sangria that was just right, not overly sweet and not bitter...  After all of this delicious food, we only paid $18 per person!  Call way ahead if you have a large reservation, though - I called on Tuesday for a Saturday reservation and we had to eat at 10pm!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/21/2010

    came here for the first time last wknd for my birthday with 3 other great people. had heard great things, and was not disappointed. definitely call/book ahead as they do get super crowded, although it is a decent-sized place. i'm not super 'savvy' when it comes to tapas, so it was fun to learn as we went. we ordered numerous small portions and passed them around the table to share. things you have to order:

    -sangria pitchers. for $20, not a bad deal. we tried the peach and the black raspberry. both rocked, but i think the black raspberry had the most flavor. the bf liked too. YUM.
    -escargot, garlic croutons, sherry alioli
    -seared scallops, raisins, couscous & pine nuts
    -ahi tuna poached in olive oil on avocado toast
    -beef tenderloin & blue cheese (the red meat eaters at my table loved this)

    would have loved to have tried the paella, but you had to have 2 people ordering that, and it took 35 minutes - we didn't want to miss out on other small tapas by ordering that, so we passed, but maybe i'd try that next time, as it smelled fabulous when it passed by.

    then, my bf snuck away and made sure the waiter knew we were celebrating, and asked for one of the desserts. our (very knowledgable) waiter brought out the one dessert with a candle in it, and then 3 other desserts, all on the house! very, very kind, and DELICIOUS! the carmelized banana dessert was 100% the best in my mind. the rest of my table liked the butterscotch cream.

    overall, great experience, would definitely recommend and go back. :)

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/26/2007

    This is a good starter tapa's restaurant, and you really have to move away from your first experience of a new type of food....
    I had my first tapas experience here and it was just OKAY. The sangria was okay, and the food was just okay- but good enough for you to get an idea of what tapas is, and try it again somewhere else. And when you go somewhere else, you will realize that Cafe Ba Ba Reba, is over priced and the food is just OKAY, and that the only thing going for them is the space they are in.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/26/2009

    Stopped on Saturday for lunch and was quite happy I did! We had a picture of peach sangria and shared the baked goat cheese, spicy potatoes and  garlic shrimp, everything was delicious!!! We overheard the next table raving about their dessert, so we decided to try it as well. I wanted to DIE. Really. It was a butterscotch pudding with a sweet and salty combination of flavors and came in a small shot glass. I could have ate a mixing bowl full of it, or rolled in it, it was that good. Try it - you will go back just for that!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/24/2008

    Reservations for dinner are an absolute must. Don't try to walk in on the weekends either. You'll have at least a 1-2 hour wait before you are seated.  

    This restaurant has excellent tapas. I recommend the garlic shrimp and garlic potato salad (yes, we love garlic!) Overall it is pricey and we expect to leave with a large bill, but that comes with the territory of tappas.

    The service is usually so,so. Sometimes you have to flag down the waiter. But it usually because it is very busy and I don't see it as them as deliberately trying to ignore you.  

    If you get a chance eat on the patio.

    The Paella we alright. but then again I'm not a big fan of it.

    They also have dessert tappas.  They are regular desserts served tappas sized. It's a great way to sample a bunch of delicious and beautifully presented desserts.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/11/2011

    Loved this place!!  Delicious sangria and delicious tapas.  I really want to try brunch!!

  • 2.0 star rating
    1/10/2010

    maybe was there on an off night but really nothing that great.  dissappointed.  The waitress was nice and gave me a 25$ gift certificate because we didn't finish any of the plates.  Probably won't go back even to use it.

  • 1.0 star rating
    10/12/2006
    Listed in My Neighborhood

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is great if you like the feeling of a chain...

    go to Cafe Iberico and get better food and cheaper too!

  • 1.0 star rating
    1/8/2012

    Run and don't look back! My fiance and I went here this weekend because we had a giftcard - we would have been better off tossing the gift card and eating mac n' cheese at home on Saturday night.

    First off, their "fantastic" sangria was actually crap-tastic. It tasted like vinegar littered with massive chunks of fruit that a toddler in the back cut up with his play-doh knife.  

    Their tapas style menu was a de-glorified American version of it - portions are definitely not what you would consider "classic" Spanish tapas portions. Their patatas bravas which is your basic tapas dish was cut up like American french fries and I could barely taste the so-called "spicy" aioli sauce. Salmon was way overcooked as was our beef tenderloin smeared with an overpowering curdled blue cheese. Sick! The cheese plate was absolutely nothing to write home about. When you order a cheese platter, you're perhaps preparing yourself to be wow-ed by a new cheese that you've never had. They gave us some crappy goat's milk cheese with olives dancing about in it. They might as well have just given us a dish of olive tapenade to spoon into our mouths, because you couldn't taste any of the cheese.

    Now the waitstaff - the busboys seemed great and attentive to our ever-trashed pile of dishes. However, the queen that was serving us had a 'tude from the get-go and was not attentive at all - this was in fact, the only true-to-life portion of our experience (in Spain, they also will leave you at the table for an extended amount of time if you don't order something immediately). When we were served dishes with multiple items on it, we had to hunt our waiter down so that he could tell us what everything was (which he seemed annoyed about). Typically, in a restaurant, the waitstaff will outline what each item is (on a multi-platter) for you so that you know what you're eating. Dear Queen Waiter, Sorry for bothering you by asking you to do your job. We were actually going to order dessert, but because it literally took him 10 minutes (after we told him we were ready!), we decided we'd be better off without.

    Our meal was $80 not including tip which is absurd for the lack of service, amount of attitude, and the bountiful amount of crap food. Would have been much happier paying that much at a real restaurant i.e. Girl and the Goat, Gilt Bar, just to name a few.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/26/2009
    Listed in eat your veggies

    Amazing brunch is created by a combination of key elements. To begin, the bloody mary. Well, with a bloody mary bar you've no excuse if you can't create the bloody mary of your dreams. Begin with one of seven or eight vodka choices, then take your glass to the bar and choose one of four tomato juice/mixes. Now, try to leave enough room in you glass after all the hot sauces, citrus juices, peppers, and celery salt for some garnish. In fact, bring a plate because you'll need it - but don't go taking all the shrimp skewers, ya cheater. Save some for the rest of the kids.
    Now that we've got the bloody mary in hand we're ready to peruse the menu. Start with the pintxtos platter - six little bites to get your mouth in shape for the serious consumption to come. They're phenomenal, and appetizers are an important role in brunch. If you begin the main portion of your meal too soon you'll never make it back to the bloody mary bar for round two.
    Ah, drink in hand, a couple bites enjoyed - it's time to order the tapas. Some sweet, some savory, some dinner, some breakfast, some helluva recipe for the perfect brunch.
    Some wonderful asides: They deliver hot churros to your table. Yum.
    The menu is as big as Montana. Wow. Lots and lots of vegetarian and even a few vegan options.  And you can always get cava sangria if you're not into bloody marys.
    Follow this perfect brunch with a stroll over to Lincoln Park Zoo and spend the afternoon working off your enormous brunch or you'll be sure to fall asleep on the couch and miss out on dinner altogether.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/22/2009

    Glorious. Nice dudes working there. Great little first date kind of place. Best tapas in Lincoln Park, and I actually knew some of the wine on their list... which is surprising, because I'm a dumb ass when it comes to wines. The only thing I don't get is why they close so early on the weekends.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/17/2009

    Excellent place for a big group! The food was great and everyone had enough to eat and drink. I also have been to the location in Las Vegas and would highly recommend both, specially for happy hour!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/2/2007

    I have heard lots about this place but never had any real interest in coming here, so I was a little disappointed when my friends choose it for dinner on New Year's Eve. However, I found that I actually really enjoyed my experience here. I was with 5 girls and we each ordered two things and shared. Definite standouts were the bacon-wrapped dates, the chicken breast with spinach, blue cheese and pine nuts, and the stuffed mushrooms. We also tried the black raspberry sangria, which was decent, but nothing to write home about. It definitely needed more fresh fruit.

    The service was very friendly and efficient. A couple of my friends were really cold when we sat down and asked the server if the air could be turned down, which I thought was unlikely to happen, because it seems like big restaurants never accomodate requests like that, but a few minutes later a manager came over and explained that they had turned up the AC to offset the heat from the oven, but that they had turned it off for us. I was really impressed.

    The price was really reasonable. We each paid just under $30 for the meal and drinks. I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience and will probably be back next time I need a fun place to take a group of friends.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/26/2009

    Babareeba is probably one of the most talked up taparias in the chicago area. The food here is really good, but like any other tapas joint you'll want to get about 2-3 plates a person. I recommend the escargot, braised shortrib, and the scallops with couscous. The only issue I had was the wait which was a bit longer than I had anticipated. Everything else on the menu is pretty standard, you cannot go wrong with the queso de cabra and the tortilla espanola. The desserts however were sub par in my opinion. I've a lot of flan before and theirs wasn't as great as I had expected it to be. The chocolate cake wasn't a favorite either. All in all, I would do ba-ba again. It's definitely a safe one.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/21/2009

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is one of mine and my husbands favorite restaurants.  We've been there enough times where we have our favorites (beef tenderloin medallions, spicy potatoes, ham & chicken croquettes, braised lamb, and the carmelized banana dessert).  Of course with the red sangria.   We have tried a few different things that we weren't the biggest fan of, but I still think Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba deserves 5 stars.  We are always stuffed and able to drink sangria the entire meal for a decent price.

  • 2.0 star rating
    2/23/2010

    From past reviews, I thought Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba would be the paragon of all Chicago tapas restaurants. I was mistaken.

    While the service was hospitable, I can't say the same for the menu. As someone who doesn't eat beef, pork, and dairy, my options were greatly limited. Overall, the dishes are unadventurous and rather standard.

    Surprisingly - despite the luck-warm reviews -  I really enjoyed Cafe Valencia in the South Loop. There, I had the duck confit, rabbit stew, chicken stew... now those are dishes I wouldn't be able to find at other Tapas restaurants!

    Summary: Good service. Group-friendly ambiance. Overpriced and mediocre menu.

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, please,  excite me.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/19/2007

    I like ba-ba-reeba, but it's noisy, overpriced, and crowded.  If you can get past all that, then you'll be just fine.  Love the beef tenderloin with bleu cheese and of course, the famous bacon wrapped dates.  Typical tapas here, like jamon serrano, patatas bravas, etc.  There are some nice things like scallops with raisins and curried chicken salad that are fun to try as well.

    People watching is pretty good, but the service is not.  I've never waited less than 30 minutes WITH a reservation.  But seriously, you're in a spanish restaurant, so just go with it.  Pretend you're not a impatient american and just relax, eat your food and drink your sangria.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/6/2009
    1 check-in

    A friend introduced me to this place. Everything was super delicious! There were four of us, and we shared about seven plates. The atmosphere was a lttle cheesie, but one can easily get over it. Will definitly be back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/5/2009

    I went here with a large group of girlfriends to celebrate an engagement, and I was very impressed.  We were seated at a table with plenty of room, and we each ordered a few tapas to share with the group.  Literally everything I tried was fantastic!  I really have not had better tapas anywhere in the city.  It can get pretty crowded and noisy on the weekends, but definitely a great spot to try new things and have a great meal with friends.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/11/2009
    3 check-ins

    Tapas at it's best!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/12/2009

    I simply love Cafe Ba Ba Reba. It is by far my favorite tapas restaurant in Chicago.  Iberico and Mercat a la Planxa are my runner-ups.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/3/2009

    I must confess to you cafe BaBaReeba as I've tried other tapas place and ask for forgiveness. You have me addicted more then one dish and your Delicious sangria.

    So many choices such goat cheese with toasted bread, spicy potatoes, grilled squid, steak too!

    I'll be back and won't deceive you.

  • 2.0 star rating
    2/15/2007

    My review may be a little harsh because I've had genuine tapas from Barcelona.  If that's what you're looking for, I'd suggest Cafe Iberico.

    We went on one of the coldest nights this winter and had to sit in their outdoor area.  They assured us it'd be warm enough, however I was pretty cold the whole night.  Our service was mediocre and it was very crowded.

    The Food - I had a GREAT skirt steak tapas with onions and garlic that was absolutely delicious (which accounts for one of the stars for this review).  Their Pan con Tomato was good, but it's kind of hard to mess that up (smashed tomatoes on bread...voila!).  Other than that, I can't think of a dish that stood out, and we ordered about 7 of them.  We of course got the Tortilla Espanola and while my friends liked it, I thought it was only OK.  We got the Ham & Cheese Croquettes, and again, only OK.

    Overall, this place is just that...only OK.  Like I said, for more genuine tapas, I suggest Cafe Iberico.

    BTW, the other star comes from the sangria.  Good stuff!

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/13/2008

    I have only been to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba a hand full of times, but it is definitely one of the best tapas restaurants I have been to.  The staff is well informed about the menu and friendly also.  Everytime I go I try something new and get one of my favorites.  I recommend the spicy meatballs, and spicy potatos.  I have also had the stuffed mushrooms, chicken empanatas, (both delightful) and even tried goat.  It was tender and delicious!  It's easy to get a table without a reservation if you go during the week, otherwise plan accordingly.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/19/2010

    I've been here probably close to ten times. I've almost had everything on the menu and I've loved almost every single one of them.  If it has a food you like in it, you will love the dish. If you like potatoes- any of them on the menu are fantastic. If you like bacon, you will just die for the bacon wrapped dates. If you like Caesar salad, theirs is phenomenal. The shorts ribs are amazing and hanging beef is well worth the price.  The mushrooms are delicious. And the sangria is perfect. So much yumminess.

    Its my favorite place in Chicago, hands down.

    Tips:
    Its busy. Really busy. Make a reservation or be happy waiting.
    Its crowded and loud. Thats just the atmosphere.
    Go here often.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/20/2006

    I love love love the interior.
    The waitstaff is very attentive and helpful. With all the choices, alittle assistance in choosing is very welcome.
    Sangria - yum!
    And I can't get enough of those bacon-wrapped dates! Oh so delectable!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/11/2009

    My date and I arrived 10 minutes early for our 8 pm reservation on a Friday and were seated right away. Cafe BaBaReeba was packed and there was definitely a wait...but with a glass of delicious sangria in your hand, the wait doesn't matter. Our waiter was very attentive with constant refills on our white sangria, we went with the half pitcher. All of our choices were a hit, crispy spicy potatoes, baked goat cheese, chicken and chorizo skewer, and spanish sausages...however the spanish sausage was supposed to be spanish meatballs, so a minor slip on the servers part here, but we enjoyed our substitution. The baked goat cheese was my favorite...perfect consistency and very tasty with garlic toast.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/21/2009

    The best Tapas in the City! Because I am Latina I love Spanish and Mexican food and I am very picky, so I made my husband try just about every tapas place in the city and guess what my favorite it Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba by a land slide. There food is authentic, just like you would get in Barcelona, there sangria is so tasty and the atmosphere is very welcoming. They seem to always be busy sometimes makes the service a little slow but not all the time. You can see the Spanish culture as soon as you walk into the door. You've got to try this place out and they have valet parking a big plus.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/5/2007
    Listed in Five of May

    Okay okay, what else could I say that 113 people before me could not?

    Well, to be honest, not much.

    But I have to say that our server was a bit nutty, which was great for my friend's first Tapas experience.

    There's a wonderful selection of sangrias (try the cava or the passion fruit) which is the must.  The food is very tasty, but at times greasy, which is a bit of a turn off.

    Worth an hour+ wait?  No.  But perfect if you're sitting at the bar or if there isn't a long list of people ahead of you.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/3/2006

    I love Tapas!  Just love them.   Leigh and I went to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba the other day for their weekday tapas special.   Monday-Friday from 4-6pm they have a special menu of $2 tapas at the bar.  We got a bunch of different stuff but two items come to mind.

    Leigh ordered the olives.  I don't eat olives myself, but was quite impressed with the quantity and variety of olives that came out.  There was literally a troth of olives.  I ordered the roast dates with bacon and apple vinaigrette.  Holy Moly that was so good.  It was probably the best thing I've ever eaten anything tastier.  It was delicious!

    All in all this place is pretty good.  I really like coming here, but I never feel like its quite good enough (the dates excluded)  Its a great intro to tapas if you've never done it before and if you are in to Sangria they have a lot of options.

    ** Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba also offers Paella cooking classes for $35 every so often.  Those sound awesome and delicious.  Check them out.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/6/2009
    2 check-ins

    i LOVE cafe babareba - especially the delicious paella! the sangria is great too, with seasonal flavors. the only thing i don't like is the immensely, ridiculously, long wait time! i sat there with my friend for two hours waiting for a table. reservation is definitely recommended, but there is still about a half hour wait with reservation.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/30/2008

    I've been coming here since I was a newborn- it is a regular haunt for my family whenever we come back to Chicago. This place is fabulous!!! I always order garlic potatoes, which will probably give you a heart attack but they are well worth it. Some things you should also try are the chicken and chorizo, anything with horseradish, and the beef medallions. Go without the goat cheese dip- very typical and it'd be better to try something new. The paella is pretty good too. The only downside is the sangria taps... I would like to think that the bartenders lovingly made my sangria from scratch.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/24/2009
    Listed in Top Restaurants

    This is a great place for tapas and Spanish ambiance. Cafe Ba Ba Reeba offers delicious American-style Spanish food. I finally got a chance to try this place out and enjoyed every bit of it. The Baked Goat Cheese, assortment of Spanish sausages, Spicy Potatoes, White Sangria, and great company made for a very enjoyable evening. Highly recommended. (Reservations suggested)

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/27/2009 Updated review

    I chose to go to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba for my 35th birthday.  I'll tell ya, this place NEVER disappoints.  Service was EXCELLENT from the time we sat down to the time we left.  The waitress was great, coming by to keep track of what we had been served and what hadn't come yet.  We ate quite a bit of food and from begining to end we were out of there in 45 minutes.  Granted, we had a 5:30pm reservation so the place was still pretty empty.  Regardless, the busboys cleared our table of empty dishes immediately and the waitress was always on hand if we wanted more.  There wasn't one single dish I didn't like.  Everything was excellent as always.  Best tapas place in the city in my opinion, bar none.  Thanks for a great birthday dinner Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!

    5.0 star rating
    6/1/2008 Previous review
    This place looks okay from the outside, but the inside is much nicer.  This is my favorite tapas… Read more
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    8/21/2008
    1 check-in

    I'm in love with this place!   Eclectic, cute atmosphere, soooo many tapas for meat eaters AND vegetarians, and the sangria frickin rocks!  Tapas are so fun.  And I love that it sounds like I'm saying topless...Makes me laugh.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/9/2009

    mmmm this place was tasty.  

    I came with a mixed group of international business partners, and found that they really appreciated Spain's more 'eastern' tradition of sharing plates.  We were a large group, so we ordered a  good mix of tapas & large dishes: bacon-wrapped dates (not as good as Toro in Boston, but good), sea scallops, serrano ham, sausages, and calamari. Then we got 1 of each of the brochetas (like a metal skewer that hangs from a pole on the table).  This was nice a great way to share with the others, and the presentation was great.  After all of that meat,  we shared the seafood paella (note: we were 8 people).  We drank sangria throughout and it didn't disappoint.

    Overall experience was good.  Several of us finished with the mango sorbet-- it was good, but nothing to write home about.

    They lose one star because our original reservation was for 7 people at 7:30.  We arrived promptly and were asked to wait.  We waited for 15 minutes, and by that point our 8th guest arrived-- I told the hostess that we would be 8, and after hemming and hawing, we had to wait another 15 minutes.  It made our 8th feel like a burden, which is never nice.

  • 2.0 star rating
    12/14/2006

    After all of the hype about this place I was really let down. The tortilla espanola was way overcooked to the point of being dry and everything else was super greasy.  Service was extremely fast - a good thing because we ate in the smoky bar and I was happy to get out into the fresh air.
    I still don't get how they can ban fois gras yet smoking is still allowed?????

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/22/2010

    Even if you make a reservation, plan to wait. I was very annoyed, I made a reservation for 8:30pm and we were not seated until after 9:15pm. I understand having to wait, but not for 45+ minutes!

    Our waiter was great, he was very nice and attentive. Although this is the second time I have been here when the waiter has forgotten an order, but this time he made up for it in apologizing and not charging us. The food was very good and it is pretty inexpensive.

    Although it is no comparison to the tapas in Spain, it is very good!

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/27/2009

    I would have to say this is my least favority tapas place in the city. I've been here once before and wasn't wowed by anything. Thus I was disappointed when my friends wanted to celebrate their bday's here. We first started with passion fruit sangria. It was meh as there wasn't much fruit flavor or alcohol in the drink. Their sangria is a total rip off. The pitcher was half full but we were charged for a full pitcher. *sigh*

    We ordered 20 different dishes as we had a big group. There was only one dish which I really liked. I don't remember the name but it was a very tender beef dish. You could cut it with a spoon. Since we were celebrating bday's we brought in a cake. It was nice that they didn't charge us BYOC(ake) fee :) I say this b/c Marche charged us a fee for bringing in a cake. The overall bill for 10 people (20 dishes, 2 pitchers of sangria) came to $240.00. Not bad for 10 people but I have to say that I'll stick with Cafe Iberico and Twist a Tapas next time I'm in the mood for tapas.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/17/2006

    Lettuce Entertain You (who also maintain Brasserie Jo, RJ Grunts, and Scoozi) do well with this Lincoln Park tapas joint.

    My date and I had a few cold and a few hot tapas plates.  All of them were great.  The wait staff was very knowledgeable and eager to please, and the outdoor seating was great.  I really loved the Sangria!  Completely delicious with lots of fruit in the pitcher.

    I'd say this place is slightly better than Cafe Iberco, but I'm not a tapas aficionado like some people are.  Just let me try some more delicious Spanish snacks and I'm a happy camper.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/26/2007

    4.5 stars.  I love tapas.  And I LOVE (with capital letters) garlic potato salad.  It is amazingly good at Ba-Ba-Reeba.  Amazing.  Now that I'm talking about it, I'm drooling.  

    There is a lot of other stuff to rave about here as well - Serrano Ham and Tomato Bread, Stuffed Mushrooms, Olives, Spicy Potatoes....and for dessert, the Truffle cake is my usual.  This time though, I tried the Caramel custard menu item and it was heaven.  Heaven.

    Eat here.

    If you're looking for tapas in the city - hit Ba-Ba-Reeba before Emilios.  It's better - hands down.

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/23/2009

    I LOVE the variety of all the little dishes, and the atmosphere is very pleasant.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/9/2007

    I went for dinner last night for the first time after wanting to go forever and I loved it!  I've never had Spanish tapas at a restaurant before, only made by my mom at home.  We shared 8 dishes plus a mini dessert between the three of us and two pitchers of sangria and it was plenty of food.  It ended up being a pretty cheap dinner for me considering how much we drank.  Even though the place was packed we were seated right away at our reservation time.  The service was good as well.

    Our favorite dishes were the crab cakes (they were a special) and the beef tenderloin and blue cheese.  We ordered two of both of those dishes.  I also highly recommend the crab and shrimp gratin.  

    I'll definitely be going back again in the near future.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/20/2008

    This food definitely took me back to my Barcelona days! These Tapas were phenomenal. Because I went with a large group (in my opinion, the best way to go when dinning at a Tapas restaurant), I was able to try a number of things, from seafood to beef to chicken to vegetables...the works! I think my favorite where the bacon wrapped dates, the short cut of beef and mashed potatoes, and the spinach and cheese stuffed mushrooms. They definitely know how to accommodate both meet eaters and vegetarians, as I was with a mix of both.

    As for the deserts and drinks...AMAZING! I think we ordered everything off the desert menu but my favorite was definitely the butterscotch item! The drink choices were great as well. We ordered twp types of sangaria, the white and the blood orange sangaria (which was on special). Both were very tasty but definitely lacked the alcoholic kick you'd expect from sangaria.

    Overall, the service was great and accommodated our big group nicely. I'd recommend it to anyone who like Tapas or wants to get a feel for true Spanish food.

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/28/2010

    Went here for my b day a while back. Gotta say, meh. Service was a bit slow, food subpar. There were only two of us, yet some how we were in the way of everyone trying to get through the back room. All in all, wouldn't go back

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/16/2009

    I wish yelp allowed this place 6 stars because it was amazing. We had like 10 different dishes from empanadas, 2 pitchers of sangria, 2 things of shrimp, ceasar salad which was awesome, goat cheese. The list goes on. It was delicious definitely coming back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/7/2007

    We ate at Cafe BBR over a decade ago and it set the standard for tapas.   A meal I still remember so many years later.    I've tapas this good once at another restaurant in Washington DC, but that's it.  We live near San Francisco, have been to France, and Italy and other places.  BBR still sets the bar.  We've been to BBR in Las Vegas and it has also been great, though they've had to de-emphasize tapas and go more with main dishes such as paella since the crowd there apparently understands going to a  "topless place" but not "tapas place".

    My return visit after 12+ years was still so good.  For wine, I had 2 white flights (the gewurtz blen and the albarino were nice) and  2 spanish reds, which were both excellent.  I'm serious about wine, too (I tried Bin 36 down the street and wasn't impressed w/ their wine).  Our waitress recommended the wines and in both cases the reds were among the cheaper by the glass, so she knew her stuff.  The dishes were nearly all excellent such as the short ribs w/ manchego mashers, the curry chicken salad, the octopus and potatoes and their generous cheese plate.  The goat cheese and tomato sauce was still very good but I've had this many a time.  The only disappointment was the special of the day with beef tenderloin was topped w/ 3 different sauces.  Oh, the olive dish is super good too.  They manage to get a very tasty marinade that no one else quite has.  

    Finally service was ideal.  Attentive, competent and in no way obtrusive.

    We ate like pigs.  I drank like a thirsty bear.  And the total damage was reasonable at $55 / person including a healthy tip.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/18/2011

    Awesome place to have a leisurely meal and conversation. Tapas are always good, pitchers of sangria, too.

  • 3.0 star rating
    11/13/2006

    I was at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba last night for maybe the 732477 time. The thing is,  it's really not that I love it all that much. Don't get me wrong, I have never actually had a bad meal there, and the sangria can make the outing worth it, but I just wouldn't say it is the best in the city.

    When I first started coming here, I LOVED it. I thought that the food here was a great introduction to tapas. I find that many people, and this was true of myself, are actually very unsure of what exactly good tapas are when they first try them out. After my first "tapas outing" I did try other places in the city, some cheaper and some more expensive, and found that I generally just liked different tapas dishes from different restuarants. Then I actually spent time in Spain and realized that the best tapas are actually half way around the world, and to be honest, mostly every tapas place here has been a giant disappointment to me ever since.

    But given that tapas from Spain are no longer a daily option to me, I guess I just have to settle.

    The thing about Ba Ba Reeba is this: if you know your tapas, and you like things to be a little more on the authentic side, then look elsewhere; at least explore your options. The truth is, the little hole in the wall tapas place down the street from you, will probably be closer to how tapas should taste than anywhere else. However, if you are new to exploring tapas, this place isn't bad. The staff always seems pretty knowledgable and always has a reccomendation or two. Also, if you are eating out with a larger group of people with varrying tastes in tapas, as I was last night, Ba Ba Reeba is not a bad spot. The menu is pretty extensive and caters to the more picky eater who may not be familiar with tapas.

  • 2.0 star rating
    5/25/2009

    I don't love it, but I don't hate it. It's just okay. I come here when my friends want to go, but I go to Iberico if I'm planning. The service is usually snooty and the food isn't really worth the price, in my opinion. I think it's ironic that the "crispy calamari" are not really crispy at all. The rest of the food I've had, though, has been decent. One of my friends keeps trying to tell me that the patatas bravas make up for everything else that the restaurant is lacking, so they are on my list to try. Maybe I'll change my mind?

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/6/2009

    Good tapas and sangria, but not so good paella. My colleagues and I ordered 2 of almost everything! Most of them have never experienced a tapas restaurant before and were a bit worried of the tiny portions, so their thought was to order 2 plates of more than a dozen dishes! They were all very tasty, however I don't know what was going on with the dish that they called "paella". Every paella dish I've ordered (and I've had plenty) had clams, lobster, chorizo, mussels, fish, and a wonderful saffron flavor. Their "paella" had small scallop pieces, shrimp, and...green beens! I kept digging to the bottom of the bowl looking for more of the good stuff, but to my disappointment there was NO good stuff :(
    But overall I'll give it 4 stars because our server was great (it was packed and he still paid attention to the details, like refilling our sangria and wine glasses) and the tapas were good.
    Oh by the way, women beware of the bathroom. Someone was smoking inside, and I don't mean cigarettes.

    Salud!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/3/2011

    This is definitely one of the best Tapas places in Chicago.  I love the food and atmosphere.  However, their staff is not the best- they're always running around super busy and very hard to flag down.  You have to wait 20-30 minutes after you sit down just for them to take your order. Prepare to wait for a long time if you come here.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/18/2007

    Cafe Ba Ba Reeba is always a dependable special occasion place for me. I went there for my birthday last night, and its great for a group!
    I took friends who had never had tapas, its great for accommodating all types of taste buds. Our party of 5 ordered 2 tapas plates each, which was more than enough :)

    Some of my favs:
    Roasted eggplant salad w/goat cheese
    Beef Tenderloin with blu cheese ( tender!)
    Chicken Empanada
    Seared Salmon with couscous

    In comparison to Iberico, I like ba ba reeba better for their variety in salads and chicken tapas. There was too much crab, shrimp going on for me at Iberico.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/17/2010
    1 check-in

    Great for a group to meet-up and share food. Fairly safe with their selection, so everyone leaves satisfied. Satisfying and cold sangria could use more sangria and less ice. My reservation for 5 people at 6pm on a Sunday was kept despite people being 15 minutes late. Friendly service. Quick bussers keep the table clear.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/18/2009

    Definitely one of our favorite places to eat!  The atmosphere, the service and the food are all wonderful.  We always get the baked Goat Cheese to start.  We tend to get the usual few tapas but I promised myself that I would try their caldera dishes at some point.  The paella was salty for me.  But, normally I go for tapas so that's not an issue.  LOVE their grilled squid in oil and peppers.  Yum.  Just thinking about it is making me ready to go to the Bob.  Their passion fruit sangria is my favorite and definitely can go through the full pitcher like water.  Normally I am so full that I never venture to the desserts.  I especially love their New Years Day PJ brunch!  Who wouldn't love going in your pj's and getting gift certificates in the amount of your bill to come back on them?!  Haven't used those yet but I have a sneaky suspicion that they won't be lasting much longer...

  • 2.0 star rating
    6/20/2008

    Dinner was wonderful, but mainly because of my company, not the food as much. We had lots - the cheese sampler, garlic shrimp, octopus with potatoes, bacon dates, croquettes, chicken turnovers and the Spanish sausage platter - I say it all in English, because the tapas here are crazy Americanized and lacking strong Spanish flavors I've come to expect from tapas. Many of these items were individually priced less than at some of my favorite tapas spots, so that part was nice. Everything was okay, not bad, but only just fine. The croquettas though were really soggy for something that is usually fried crispy and I couldn't get anybody to eat them.  The octopus was not very well marinated and I'm a little afraid it's tentacles grabbed my innards a bit, because it took some effort to get that down.  I did like the presentation of the bacon dates on toothpicks.  I was disappointed with the white sangria, which didn't seem like sangria at all, but like a glass of slightly sweetened white wine with tiny diced pieces of fruit only on the top and the glass was almost completely filled with ice.

    The chicken tenders from the kids meal was one of the best things I had here - a whole chicken breast fried crunchy and super flavorful and then cut into strips served with mashed potatoes - I might get that myself if I come back here.

    We had dinner very early (like about 5:30 or so) so there was no wait or crowd and we were seated quickly - the hostess was very nice. The service was decent and the food came out very quickly, but they kept trying to place really hot plates directly in front of a bebe in a high chair, which seemed a bit amateurish. The bathrooms were gross and kind of a huge surprise and disappointment given how nice the rest of the restaurant looks.

    I'd go back again, probably with a group, if I was just in the area or if I was in the mood for tapas but couldn't afford my first choice.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/18/2011

    Good place to take the parents or relatives. the food is tasty and consistent.

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/19/2009

    I've loved this place for a long time. Service is pretty solid, and it's a lively space. The food is consistent, and while everything I've tried is good, there are several must-haves. I love the escargot, spicy potatoes, and the bacon wrapped dates. Great cheese plates, and good sangria. Purists may tell you these dishes aren't authentic Spanish tapas, but if they taste this good, then who cares? More escargots, please!

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/11/2009

    Cafe Ba Ba Reeba on two different occasions...

    On my first visit, went for one of their Bodega Ba Ba Reeba wine tastings. It was such a lovely evening for such a resonable price. We were able to try at least 25 different selections from all over Spain and actually enjoyed speaking with the sommeliars. They were friendly, insightful and inviting.  During the evening, waiters were passing around tapas to all the guests, which I found to be a nice treat between each tasting. Morever, the lively music and jovial crowd made for an overall memorable experience.

    Second visit was for dinner on a warm, summer night. We sat outside on the patio and started off with a couple drinks. The passion fruit sangria was pretty good...though took a few glasses to get me tipsy. We ordered a variety of tapas (of which i would definitely say the meaty ones are worth ordering again!!). Overall, I would say the food is average. This place is more about sitting back, relaxing and enjoying good times with good friends.

    Will def be back for more....i'm keen on checking out their other events and brunch menu.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/5/2011
    1 check-in

    all the items we ordered were so delicious and flavorful.  i called for a reservation in the morning and was not able to get one for saturday evening so we went and sat in the bar area.  the service around the bar tables were very slow, but utlimately since the food was so excellent we were fine with the absent server.  definitely would go back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/26/2008

    A great tapas restaurant.  It has nice outdoor seating that can allow you to enjoy the evenings in the summer.  The food here is really great and reasonably priced.  In typical tapas form, you have a lot of opportunities to try different dishes and taste a little bit of everything.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/20/2011 Updated review
    2 check-ins

    The last time I was at Ba-Ba Reeba I remember being disappointed because the menu had changed and the food didn't seem quite as good.  I decided to go back because I had friends in town who wanted to see a bit of Chicago and enjoy some tapas - and since the drinks at Ba-Ba Reeba are always fabulous, I decided to return.  I'm glad I did.  We had some sangria and mojitos to get started while we waited for our reservation to be ready.  For dinner, the three of us ordered about seven different tapas.  The bacon wrapped dates were great as always!  The Spanish meatballs were a little disappointing, but were quickly redeemed by baked goat cheese and the braised short ribs.  I didn't remember them serving short ribs, so I was happy to order them!  We weren't planning on dessert, but our waiter brought over three small desserts, complementary.  It was really nice of him because the chocolate cake and caramel flan were delicious! We also managed to score a complementary round of mojitos!  Thank you awesome waiter, we walked out full and happy :)

    3.0 star rating
    7/10/2010 Previous review
    I used to love Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, especially their blackberry sangria and bacon wrapped dates.  I… Read more
  • 2.0 star rating
    5/1/2006

    Unfortunately, this place is one of the most overrated places that I have experienced here in Chicago.  Many of my friends have touted this place being great with great drinks, great food, etc.

    Please let me preface by saying that I lived in Madrid, Spain for four months.

    The place was crowded and had a very lively (loud) atmosphere.  It probably would be great for a group of friends.  The decor was appropriately Spanish.  I think we were not very hungry, and we ordered two tapas and seafood paella for two.  The tapas were mediocre, and the paella was just poorly made.  One of my neighbors actually is a cook for Cafe BaBaReeba and I went to talk to him (since it was my first time in the restaurant, and I wanted to say hello).  I asked him about the paella.  I commented that the paella was dry to the point that it was as if it were "crunchy."  I asked him whether that if that is the way they normally prepare it or maybe I got a bad preparation.  He said that it was normal, and he doens't know why they do it that way.

    Okay for a date restaurant.  Great for a group of people, particularly if they don't know what Spanish food should taste like.

    For better tapas and paella, try Cafe Iberico on LaSalle.

    For excellent/better sangria roja, come to my apt in the summer time.  Or if you don't, try Arco de Cuchillero in Lakeview.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/22/2009

    I went here a few months ago after a friend's work event. The tapas were delicious and the sangria was great. I don't know about the prices as my friend's boss picked up the tab, but he seemed ok with it. we were a little sauced and jib-jabby, so we were slow to leave the staff didn't kick us out at closing .

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/18/2009

    The goat cheese and meatballs were excellent. Go with a group of people (more than 4) so that you can share dishes. Very nice place.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/13/2009

    I have been here twice, though not recently. I hope to go again soon! I had absolutely fantastic food and service both times. I also love how it is decorated. It is a great place to bring out-of-town guests.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/26/2010

    When I inititally went here, the place was packed.  We were seated smack dab against a wall... so i thought I would go back, making reservations ahead of time.  Good choice.  Food is great (the usual tapas fare), the sangria is awesome, service is decent.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/8/2009

    Posted by Yasoob Ahmed | Tapas are great. The Sangria is the best in town, I have tried Sangria at a lot of other places but this seems to always be the best. Go to have a a glass or two or pitcher.

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/6/2006

    I cannot honestly say that I've ever had a bad experience at this tapas restaurant.  The first night I met my boyfriend's parents, while his dad & he went to the Cubs game, I took his mom to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  I figured it'd be a good spot to order as many little items as we'd like & we could bond over shared plates & sangria pitchers (yes, plural ... she ordered the second!).

    Granted, a lot had to do with how cool his mom is, but we had a blast - staying there for the entire duration of the Cubs game.

    My only warning would be to watch out if you're with a large group of friends ... I've been here with big groups & even though I came after dinner & only had one drink, they tried to tell me that we were splitting the tab evenly amongst everyone who was there at bill time.  But that's not the restaurant's fault.  Just as a precaution ... if you're short on change like me or if your friends just have a penchant for ordering a ton & then saying, "Oh yeah, let's divide it amongst all of us!" - watch out.

    Edit:  Well, the bf is gone, but it was still a great place to take his mom.  Also, in related news ... a great place for a first date!  In fact, I'm going to up my review to a solid 5 stars simply because our waiter was freaking awesome.  Very attentive without being too hover-y & even comped us 2 desserts, which was really cool.

    That being said, I would definitely recommend this place for first-time break-the-ice entertaining, though.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/27/2009

    One of my favorites in Chicago! The food here is always exellent and it has a great atmopsphere. Best tapas restaurant in the city by far. The chorizos are awesome, the patatas bravas are always great, the empanadas are top notch, etc etc. I have never been dissapointed with a meal here.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/12/2010

    We tried out tapas for brunch...what a wonderful spin on the tapas experience!!  There was the brunch menu and the regular lunch menu available which is a nice way to appeal to everyone.  When we arrived, there was oil and bread on the table...not necessary for brunch, but all "extras" are appreciated.  We took advantage of the patio area--which allowed a nice amount of space between customers and as it was not al fresco dining on the sidewalk like most restaurants--we were able to ENJOY the more secluded side patio area.  The tapas are about $4-6 each and we tried out three per person (though of course everyone shares!!).  We had the french toast with apples (unusual since the menu said 'mixed berries' but still tasty), waffles with caramelized bananas/cream, crepes (one with eggs/cheese/bacon and one with spinach/artichoke/eggs/cheese), scrambled eggs with chorizo (sliced versus the ground texture which was a little unusual though we were allowed to customize it by adding onions), and of course the mini-churros with dipping chocolate.  It was a nice combination of sweet and savory.  They came at a a nice pace to not feel rushed, overstuffed, or having cold items sitting there while you finished eating the previous dish.  Our dining companions enjoyed the bacon wrapped-dates, baked mac-n-cheese with bacon, the french toast as well, and quiche-like items with eggs, cheese, onion, and potato.  With this "family-style" dining everyone tried any items that seemed interesting and the "tapas" portions were enough to shape with my spouse.  It gave the feel of a brunch buffet while avoiding the typical pitfalls.  The brunch items are very rich, so don't let your eyes get bigger than your stomach!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/4/2009

    my boyfriend and i have each been to babareeba a few times before, though this was our first time together.  our past experiences (between 2-5 years ago) were favorable, but this most recent time tonight was AWESOME!  

    our waiter johnny made the entire experience.  he was delightfully charming, fun, and had fantastic food/sangria recommendations.  and it didnt appear to bother him at all that we were probably totally annoying (we ordered our food in several separate rounds, and switched halfway from an outside table to indoors).  johnny elevated what would have been a nice dinner on its own into a fabulous dining experience.

    babareeba gets an A, and johnny gets an A++!

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/24/2008

    Ba-Ba-Reeba is a solid place to go to get a meal. It's not the best place but it's definitely a crowd pleaser. I just would never ever attempt to go in the evening. That would be crazy. I prefer to go in the early afternoon or on the weekend for like brunch or a late lunch. The olive plate is so good. My date liked his solomillo, we shared patatas ,some other dishes and a bottle of wine. It was like $80 bucks. Not bad, not great. It's an old stand by that you can go to and be sure you leave with a smile.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/6/2008

    Went here last weekend for a dinner with some college friends. This place has great atmosphere and friendly service. Between the all of us, we probably ordered almost everything on the menu. Here is a small sample of what we got:

    1. Chicken Paella - Pretty good, although we thought it was a little salty. Good flavor, the artichokes are an interesting addition.
    2. Butcher's Paella - Very good, amazing flavor with all different kinds of meat. The chickpeas really made this dish!
    3. Watermelon Gazpacho - This was a special for the day. WOW! It was even better than I could have imagined. A nice mix of watermelon along with tomato.
    4. Rioja short ribs, manchego mashed potatoes - These ribs were sooo tender, just fell apart in the mouth. Wonderful flavor...simply amazing.
    5. Seared lamb chops - This was the BEST dish of the night. The meat was flavorful...sauce amazing...wonderful!!!
    6. Seared Spanish Sausages - A nice mixture of different sausages.  
    7. Chocolate - Three milk cake was like a tres leches cake...soooooo good!!!

    Overall, wonderful experience. This place has great decor and excellent food! Minus the salty chicken paella, this place is a must!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    6/8/2008

    LOVE THIS PLACE!!!  Met some out of town friends here for dinner on a Sunday night - make reservations, even on a Sunday this place filled up by about 7.  I will definitely be back to add more favorites to this review but I really enjoyed the scallops, spicy potatoes and the asparagus.  I didn't get a chance to try the sangria, but I know there are like 5 or 6 varieties.  Our dinner was really cheap ($11 before tip) but that was mainly because we ordered vegetarian friendly dishes.   Can't wait to get back here!!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/6/2008

    I went with my friend and cousin to one of her favorite tapas restaurants in Chicago. I can see why this is her favorite; everything we tried was excellent, the service was fabulous, and the sangria made our evening. I absolutely love the decor. It can be crowded but it is a great restaurant in a great neighborhood. Love it, love it, love it and I can't wait to go back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/24/2009

    Get the chicken and artichoke paella when you go!  So delicious!  Everything else on the menu is ok but not something to brag about... I'm not a sangria fan but my friends are and they love it here!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/23/2009

    This is such a fun place to go. The Sangria is great and the portions are perfect. When everyone at the table orders two things it works out perfectly and you actually feel full. This is a lot of fun for groups of friends, but can be difficult if people do not like to try the things on the menu.

  • 3.0 star rating
    6/30/2008

    I would actually give Ba-Ba-Reeba two and a half stars... I would give it four stars for my visit last August (2007) and one star for my visit last Saturday (June 2008).  

    First, the good:  The food has not disappointed on either visit.  In fact, the bacon wrapped dates were so good and so memorable from last summer that it was the first dish we ordered this time around.  Last summer we had about ten tapas for four people, and, while that wasn't enough food, everything we had was really tasty and worth ordering again.  Last Saturday we had three tapas - bacon wrapped dates, seared scallops, and spinach salad - and we also ordered the "butcher's paella".  All of the tapas were first rate.  The paella - meh, not so good.  The butcher's paella is supposed to have sausage, pork, chicken... our pan had nearly zero chicken and very little non-sausage pork.  As a result, the liquid in the paella had become very greasy and was not very appetizing.  I would definitely try a different paella dish or simply stick to the tapas.  

    Now, the bad:  I have been to a ton of Lettuce Entertain You restaurants - anyone that lives in Chicago would be hard pressed to avoid them - and I am a huge fan.  One of the things I love about LEY restaurants is that even when the food isn't great, the service (in my experience) is almost always first rate.  I had one bad experience at Brasserie Jo, but everything else has been terrific.  Not Ba-Ba-Reeba.  At least not last Saturday.  We arrived at the restaurant twenty five minutes early, so I expected them to send us to the bar.  Instead, hostess number one asks us to "step around the corner".  We step around the corner, wait five minutes, and then hostess number two - with considerable attitude tells us that we will need to wait at the bar because we are too early.  Blah, don't need that attitude... but thanks.  So, we get to the bar... I order two glasses of red sangria - $13.  Seems steep, but ok.  I give the guy $15.  We then are called to our table by hostess number three (more attitude), and shown to a table on the patio.  We sit down, open the menus, and look at the drink list - red sangria is $5.50 a glass.  I wasn't overly impressed.  Then, our server arrives.  She doesn't appear to be interested in letting us experience the leisurely pace of dining that one would normally associate with an evening eating tapas, for when we place an order for two tapas she asks "Is that all?".   Our first tapas come, and we place an order for a spinach salad and paella. By now our sangria glasses are empty.  I certainly need another drink, but flagging her down proves to be a chore.  When we finally get her attention we order a half pitcher of red sangria.  Several minutes later (shortly before the salad tapas dish arrives) our "half" pitcher of sangria arrives.  When we finish the meal the bill tells the story -  she had brought a full pitcher.  Being overcharged for drinks isn't a big deal - we are only talking $8 total - but the constant attitude from the waitstaff and the complete indifference to our experience in the restaurant was really frustrating.    I am sure that we will go back to Ba-Ba-Reeba because we really do love the tapas and the sangria; hopefully the service will be back up to LEY 's high standards.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/25/2010

    Fantastic!  One of the best places for tapas that I've ever been to.    We had a phenominal waiter (I think his name is Joe - ask for his section).  He was funny, knew the menu and had excellent recommendations.   They offer everything from bacon-wrapped scallops (a favorite of mine) to potato salad, to pork kabobs.   Something for everyone.

    I've been here several times and am always anxious to take visiting friends by there for a fun time they'll remember.   A+++

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/8/2009

    I always love Cafe Ba Ba Ree Ba.  It's the best place to go with a big group - the Red and White Sangria are awesome, and the sugar rimmed mojitos are really great as well.  I love the baked goat cheese and if they ever have scallops- get them!  The spicy potatoes are also much but I must say I never feel like I Have to go the paella.  I like to split like 4 or 5 dishes between a few people instead. This place is great for a date- or any night!

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/28/2008

    Decent, crowded, and well run.  A typical Lettuce Entertain You take on the Tapas restuarant.  Kind of on the pricey side, but food is good and on the bigger side, they suggest maybe 2-3 plates per person, but 2 was good from me, and I am known to be a prodigeous eater.  Everything I had was good, calamari, empanada, skirt steak, spicy potatoes, ham plate.  This location is in the middle of Lincoln Park, and has the crowd you'd expect.  The place is quite large, and service is nice and quick.  Parking is nightmarish on busy weekend nights.  Good place for groups.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/1/2011

    I was in Chicago this past weekend and my friend recommended this place.  Another tapas style restaurant and everything was amazing!! We tried the black raspberry sangria and the passion fruit sangria both were great!  We got the pintxo platter for free because we checked in through Yelp.  Pintxos are bite-sized tapas popular in the bars of Northern Spain. It included a chorizo wrapped date and manchego, ahi tuna poached in olive oil on avocado toast, goat cheese croqueta- wow yummy, short rib-stuffed piquillo pepper, artisanal spanish cheese & quince- yummy, and mushroom and rice croqueta.  We got the spicy potatoes with a tomato aioli and these were really good. We had the spinach & manchego stuffed mushrooms and these were delicious but the sauce was a little too rich.  2 mushrooms were my limit.  The braised lamb, spinach, couscous & almonds was soooo flavorful. It was not gamy at all.  The roasted chicken empanada is a must-have.  The empanada was flaky and golden. This was delicious and it came with a yummy creamy aioli on the side.  We also had the Paella Valenciana.  It takes about 30 minutes to make the paella so make sure to order that first.  If I go back to Chicago I would definitely come back here.  They also have a location in Vegas, but on there website it says the Vegas location is now closed.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/21/2008 Updated review
    1 check-in
    Listed in Mucho gusto

    Though we've never been able to have a table here - we've always gotten great service at the bar.  Perhaps GK need bday dinner here next Monday...

    5.0 star rating
    5/5/2007 Previous review
    Seriously, did I not write a review for this place?

    I loved everything we had, the manchego was fresh…
    Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    7/31/2011
    3 check-ins

    Still great Spanish Tapas. Of course, the bacon wrapped dates are excellent, but also try the seared spanish sausages, not to mention a pitcher of sangria. We have been coming here since the early 1990's and the food has been consistently good.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/8/2008
    Listed in Top Restaurants

    Not as good as Cafe Iberico but closer to me and I always enjoy it.  It has the reputation of being touristy, but I dont really care if the food is good, and it is.   We love the garlic shrimp, the assorted spanish sausages,  beef terderloin and spicy potatoes. The atmoshpere is lively and the prices are  moderate.   Im always stuffed and satisfied when I leave!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/6/2009

    I can't believe I haven't written a review of this place yet...I really don't know anyone who hasn't been here.  The atmosphere leaves a little to be desired, I guess, at times.  But the potato salad and the steak with garlic dipping sauce make up for it.  Both SO good.  And so are the stuffed mushrooms, the goat cheese, and everything else.  I have never eaten anything here that I did not like.  If you are one of the 5 people in the city that has never been here, you should definitely go.

  • 2.0 star rating
    3/5/2008

    This place is average. Cafe Iberico on LaSalle is better.I do feel they use too much oil and/or butter on all of their dishes. What is a show-stopper for me, regardless of the food,  is the environment. Every single time I have been here it smells like sewer and the place just never seems clean. The bathrooms are small and not very clean and again smell like sewer. I am quite surprised at how under-kept this place is given it is part of Lettuce Entertain You. I know individuals have their  personal opinions of a large eatery conglomerate but I have never seen a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant so poorly kept. This restaurant is not priced like a 4am burrito joint, so why does it smell like one?

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/14/2009

    Wonderful service, unpretentious setting, delicious food. I had the lobster paella, which was flavorful, fresh, and uncomplicated. warning  - - paella dishes can take 30 minutes to prepare, so if that's all you're getting (like me), you'll have a wait. Worth it, though. The tapas here are reliably delicious and artfully presented. My meal, with tax and tip, came to $38.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/2/2008

    This being the 315th review, I'm probably not going to share anything new but I do like this place.  As you can imagine, this place is very popular and be prepared to wait up to an hour if not more.  That is a good time to head to the bar and grab a pitcher of sangria and drink as the time passes (just try to find a place to sit).  We were fortunate to grab a table out on the patio and it is a cute spot to enjoy tapas.  As busy as they were, we were well served.  The tapas here are good and I would come back again.

  • 3.0 star rating
    7/20/2008

    My friend took us here before I moved to Chicago for a group dinner.  The majority of the group semi-liked it, while I thought it was pretty good.  It's a fun place to come with a group because you can keep ordering dishes to share. Among the favorites was the chicken paella, garlic potato salad, and the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce is a great dip.  We also thought the empanadas were well done and their sangria (i dont ever remember sangria being this good) is fantastic, make sure to get a pitcher of them and everyone at the table will be happy and a little buzzed.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/17/2011

    Great Tapas.  The Sangria was very nice.  Service was good.  I heartily recommend the Spicy Potatoes, they were my favorite.  also had the mushroom empanadas, cherizo and chicken skewers, and chicken Paella which was also very good.  Also had one of the specials - beef that was tasty.  So 4 Tapas and one Paella plus the 1/2 pictcher of sangria for $71.00

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/9/2011

    Absolutely love!  I like to try new places when I go out to eat, but this is just a great staple.  Brought my parents here when they visited and though they aren't as familiar with tapas, but they both loved it!  Lots of vegetarian options (which I am) and the service is always on point!  One of my favorite go-to restaurants in Chicago.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/27/2008

    This is my favorite tapas restaurant of all the ones I have tried! (I have been to Cafe Iberico's, Emilio's, Arco de Cuchilleros and Cafe Valencia)  The selection of hot and cold tapas is amazing and everything we ordered was phenomenal!  We also tried the red sangria which was very smooth and delicious.  I would definitely recommend reservations because this place is CRAZY busy on Friday and Saturday nights!  We got there at about 8:30 and got sat down to eat at around 10:15, but it was sooo worth the wait!  Definitely try the Beef Short Rib and the Beef Empanada!

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/22/2009

    Hands down the best place to take visitors on their first night in town!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/4/2008

    Very good tapas here!! My only complaint is that the spicy potatos (my favorite tapas item) are only okay here. The sangria is great - they have a ton of different flavors. The mango sangria is really good. Usually there's a pretty long wait and it can get packed, but there is a lot of bar space, and I've always been able to squeeze into a spot to have a glass of sangria while waiting. The wait isn't quite as bad in the summer when they open up the huge outdoor seating area. Definitely a place to try if you like tapas! Also it has a great Lincoln Park location - close to a lot of shops and bars.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/3/2008 Updated review

    Came here on Saturday around 9pm and were told that for 2, the wait was an hour. Heading into the bar to grab a pitcher or 2 of Sangria for our long expected wait, we found that the seats in the bar were opening up every few minutes. Being famished after a day of moving, we removed our name from the list and sat at the bar. The bartender was not friendly, but was very attentive and gave excellent service. I just love the Sangria. Can't go wrong with any flavor. Black Raspberry, Red, White Mango, etc. Half the fun is picking out which to try next!

    4.0 star rating
    10/13/2008 Previous review
    Tip. Make a reservation. Gets crazy crowded in here. I love their white wine sangria. Staff is… Read more
  • 5.0 star rating
    9/16/2009

    This is my first tapas bar i have ever eaten.... I give them my hands down with the ever most appetizing foods i've ever eaten..here's a rundown list on what i've tasted.

    crispy spicy potatoes with sundried tomato aioli- it's spicy and more like just fried potatoes that are cut into 1/4 ...very good
    my fave was the dates wrapped w/ bacon in apple vinaigrette---- was excellent we ordered 3 plates of that.....sweet and salty combination....
    baked goatcheese w/ garlic tomato sauce--- my fave too bc i love anything with goatcheese... this one is delish bc the goatcheese is melted and the tomato sauce is around it...PERFECT with the garlic pesto bread.
    spanish meatballs ---they are meatballs but in a different way of eating it...soo good!
    rioja short ribs manchego mashed potato- it's a good portion well i ate most of it..the short ribs was oooohhhh soooo tender falling off the bone....
    calamari---- was not the best chewy...not my fave
    of course we saved room for desserts:
    my most fave is chocolate- three milk chocolate cake aka tres leches
    it was like mocha it's very moist and soo yummy we ordered 2 bc i ate the other one all by myself
    truffle chocolate cake- it's like eating lindts truffles.... soo rich and yummy
    mango sorbet---was good for palate cleanser.....it was ok i could get a mango sorbet anywhere but since i love mango sorbet i just wanted to taste it
    and last but not the least butterscotch custard cream- it's very sweet but in a very good way..i thought i won't like it but when i tasted it was soo good...the texture is fluffy custard so it's not very filling type of custard cream that you may have had.

    all in all,,,i give this place 5 stars. if u plan to go there calll for reservations bc it is surely purely packed with lots of people. I went in Chicago and i heard there's also one in Vegas. In the chicago location, it's a huge restaurant..they even have patio seating. it is noisy in there.. our server was not sooo great..everytime we wanted her so we can order more tapas she is now usually there so we usually wait or we talk to another server. The sangria was also delish!!! i wanna taste their white peach sangria..maybe next time i'm out in vegas i'll try this place again
    hope this helps.....
    they need to open one here in nj/pa/nyc area...coz I truly miss this restaurant.....

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/2/2008

    Their sangria is the best best best. Not too sugary, and just the perfect amount of fruit. It's a little more expensive than Emilio's, but the food is way better.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/2/2008

    This place is an absolute madhouse on the weekends so prepare to wait at the bar for 1-2 hours for a seat. It is well worth it though to hang in the bar despite the fact that you may crammed closer to your neighbor than on a morning red line commute.  I've tried every flavor sangria, and I love them all! There are abundant veggie tapas options here, so you can go with your carnivorous friends and everyone will be satisfied. The staff are attentive and prompt. This place is great for groups, not as much fun for dates. It is wonderful when summer rolls around and the 4 season room looses it's plastic.

  • 2.0 star rating
    4/14/2009

    The decor in the place is pretty hideous for a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant. Not that that's all that important, but the tapas and paella are nothing special either. If you want good food, go to Cafe Iberico

  • 5.0 star rating
    11/10/2008

    totally had a good night here on saturday. i got done with my class a little early and my boyfriend picked me up and we went here before seeing cheech and chong (which was funny, btw.)

    we got in there around 5:20 and gave our name. took a seat at the bar and ordered a half pitcher of peach sangria. good stuff! drank a glass and then was shown to our table. the area we sat in wasn't that busy yet, but fillled up while we were sitting there.

    we started with the lobster bisque soup, which was nice. i wasn't a huge fan of it, but it wasn't terrible by any means. just not what i think of when i think of lobster bisque. we followed that up with some tuna tartare which was nice and tasty.

    we ordered a half pitcher of passionfruit sangria and continued with some ham and chicken croquettes and rioja short ribs with manchengo mashed potatoes. talk about yummy. followed that with braised lamb with spinach, couscous, and marcona almonds. that dish had a little to much strong flavor to it, so it was a bit much to finish.

    the waiter finished up our night with two complimentary desserts for dining there for the first time. we got the bread pudding with cherries and caramel marcona almond tart. they were both really good and a nice finish to our meals.

    i would totally go back to eat here again. just make sure you don't repeat our mistake and accidentally walk into cafe bernard first on accident. :-P

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/8/2009

    Debating between 3 and 4 stars because this place is corporate,  but Ba-Ba-Reeba is key for large groups and taking visitors.  You know you'll always be served quality food and great sangria.  Garlic potatoes and skirt steak are a must.  Two things to keep in mind, this place is owned by Let Us Entertain You, so if you're expecting quaint mom and pop, try somewhere else.  Also, the floor tends to get slippery!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/29/2008

    Great tapas and sangria - a little over crowded, but overall a great place!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/12/2008

    Jim, I think we have a winner! I've found my new favorite tapas restaurant, and it's name is Ba-Ba-Reeba. HOWEVER, one major caveat. I simply will not go under any circumstances, without reservations and neither should you. Props to BBR and all other Lettuce Entertain You restaurants for having on-line reservations through Open Table... however, yesterday the best we could get would have been 10:30. So we decided to go with another couple and take our chances putting our name in. I have no problem with waiting, especially on a Friday night w/o reservations- and the wait was worth it (I'll get to that)- but I did have a problem with being quoted "an hour and a half to two hours" only to be given a real snotty response when I checked in after an hour and a half with the hostess that "You checked in at 7:53 and we quoted you up to 9:53. We have until 9:53 to get you a table." Oooookay... if I'd been rude or belligerent in the way I'd asked, I would have deserved the response, but that was not the case. It had me wondering though, what happens if they'd seated me at 9:54? Do I get a free bowl of soup for my troubles?
    Anyway, we were seated (at 9:47!) and had a very kind and patient server who did a great job. The food was outstanding... the shrimp in garlic and olive oil with red pepper flakes was the best I've had by far at the versions at Iberico, Twist, Emilio's, or Sangria. Other highlights were the skirt steak with green onions and herbed butter... jockeying with the shrimp to be my favorite!
    When I woke up this morning, immediately as my eyes opened, I looked at the ceiling and asked myself why, in god's name, did I not order bacon wrapped dates. Ladies and germs, I'd subconsciously myself a terrific reason to go back... albeit with reservations.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/15/2008
    Listed in Tapas Tapas Tapas

    I can't believe I have yet to review the fun times had at Cafe B-B-R.  The Sangria is delicious and the many plates we had were fantastic.  I recommend reservations as it gets hella packed with people in here most nights.  The scallop plate was good as well as the skewers that come out on the skewer hanger they put on your table.  People stare, but it's worth it.  It's not like they weren't staring at me and my hot friends anyways.  I'll be back, and I'd like to try the brunch sometime.

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/17/2009

    Service was excellent, helpful and friendly.  The food was great and there are so many choices.  The atmosphere was unique and works well.  No wonder they are so busy.  Definitely a must try.  Make reservations!

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/19/2009

    Food, drinks, and service have been good. Try the sherry flights. Bacon wrapped dates, spicy potatoes, any brochette, paella a la valencia are all good. Love their sangrias, wine selection, and the desserts. It has a bustling atmosphere without being overwhelmingly loud. Also appreciate that they keep parties evenly spaced, so you are not elbow to elbow with other diners.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/16/2008

    I loved this place!  It was a little bit loud but our party of 6 still managed to carry on conversation.  I recommend reservations since we had them and still waited at the bar for a bit.  No complaints though because the sangria (both the traditional red and the black raspberry) were AWESOME.  All of our tapas were great and the service was fantastic.  The paella was surprisingly very DELICIOUS, the beef brocheta was very tender, the soup of the day was one of the best soups I have ever eaten, and the other tapas were great as well.    So I guess my only drawback is the noise level and crowdedness.  If you don't care about those things and enjoy tapas you will surely love this place.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/22/2006

    Just tried this place it was really good ,but I love tapas. We got the black raspberry sangria, it was pretty good. The tapas were really good. I highly recommend the squid, it was the best one that we got. The best part was our waiter was very helpful, and he gave us a free dessert when we had a hard time choosing between two.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/30/2009

    yea...this place is pretty cool...ive been here twice..once in the summer and sat in the outside terrace and once in the winter and sat in the inside on a sunday...both times were pretty awesome...go with a group of people that love tryin new things and hit up as many different dishes as you can...the chefs are pretty solid here..i mean they should be since its a lettuce...but its a good time...

    hit up those drinks..start passing around all the tapas..and maybe catch some famous people on occasion...make it happen..you wont be disappointed..and the build your bloody mary bar on sundays has a ton of options..so many..it didnt taste like  a bloody mary once i was done with it

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/30/2008

    This place was amazing. Their food was great and their staff were super friendly and even humored me and spoke to me in Spanish. Their food (I got chicken empanadas and paella) and I just wanted to keep on eating it and keep on eating it. The sangria was pretty good too. I would say this is a good place to go with the girls and maybe even a first date.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/29/2009

    I will give it a 4 because I really like the food. The service was a little slow but to be fair it was very busy for a week night. I enjoyed the Sangria but the food is really where it's at. They have a tapas for everyone, I particularly enjoyed the stuffed mushrooms and the scallops with saffron. The scallops were perfectly cooked and not fishy at all.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/22/2006

    I probably ordered everything item on their menu at least five times and sometimes a couple times in one sitting :)

    A handful of tasty dishes, a lot of solid ones, and a few mediocre tapas.  Good sangria and good atmosphere, so I keep visiting this place whenever I go back home to Chicago.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    9/17/2008

    Love this place!  The service is friendly - not always on their "A" game but it sort of reflects upon the origin of the food.  Sangria is great.  This is a good place for groups.  They have a "make your own" bloody mary bar on Sunday's which is fab.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/24/2011

    True, authentic Spanish tapas right here folks! Every dish we had was fantastic. Our waiter was very friendly and extremely helpful when it came to choosing which wine we wanted (I'm not familiar with Spanish wines). I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly our dishes came out of the kitchen considering how busy it was. The only caution with this place is the noise level. It was very noisy in the dining area, but if you don't mind a little noise I don't know where you'd find tapas this good

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/18/2009

    Thursday afternoon I  had tapas here.  The atmosphere is nice enough. The staff was friendly and attentive. The three flavors of sangria were good, kind of like kool-aid... even the pitchers were reminiscent of the Kool-aid man. The bread tray they kept replenishing was too dry or stale or something. Seriously, the bread might have been better suited for soaking up spilled sangria. Of course I was tossing piece after piece of the less-than-fresh bread in my mouth despite this fact. Oh and you know I wasn't spilling any alcohol. Some of the dishes were better than others. The beef skewer was probably the most flavorful of everything I had. The desserts were good, I recommend their mini dessert banana(s foster) or possibly the amaretto/almond sorbet..

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/4/2008

    Def. get a reservation here, because have done it both ones- once with once without.  And the without- not so much.  Overall, good experience.  Would suggest summer for this place as the patio is a lot of fun.  Good Sangria.  Try the mushrooms and the smoke salmon with cucumber.  You'll fall in love :)  Ok, not really in love, but you know.  So why now 5 stars, because there are just to many other WONDERFUL places in Chicago to dine at.  Will go back at somepoint in time, that's for certain.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/11/2008

    This is my go-to restaurant when I have out-of-towners in. I love this place and they seem to also. It's a great place to go to with a group of people since you share and pass the tapas around. Sangria is great also. This is seriously one of my favorite restaurants!

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/7/2007

    I keep hearing all about this place so I figured I had to try it!  The only other time I've had tapas was in Spain, so I guess my expectations were pretty high.   We had a reservation and were seated right away... only after we had a seat did we realize we were outside (yea it's December..) I guess they use their patio all year long with covers and heaters... but it was still pretty cold and I was sad I checked my coat.  The patio is probably really nice in the summer but if you have a choice, try to dine inside during the cold months!  There was just 2 of us so our waiter suggested we order 5 small plates which was a pretty good amount.  The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't remarkable.  As for the Sangria, we thought it tasted a little bit like Boones Farm!  Not at all comparable to the real Spanish Sangria!  Also I should mention this place was CRAZY loud and there were a lot of large groups.  Not really a great date place, especially if you're freezing outside!  I might come back here with a group but it wasn't anything special.  I guess for authentic tapas I should go back  to Barcelona...

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/25/2008

    This is my favorite tapas restaurant in Chicago.  Love the food, the ambience and everything about it!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/16/2008

    This place is a lot of fun. I had white sangria which was delicious. There is a wide variety of tapas and some other dishes that sound good as well. Everything we had here was really good and the bill wasn't too bad either. Overall, a great place in a fun neighborhood

  • 2.0 star rating
    11/27/2010

    We are sat downstairs in the back, almost in the middle of the room.  Not really an ideal place for an empty restaurant, but we said fuck it, we were hungry.  The friendly waiter approached our table quickly and took our drink order.  I knew he was a good waiter, because the Sangria was in our bellies before we even picked up our menus.  Unfortunately our waiter was no longer our waiter anymore.  Another waiter would be taking over since he was leaving.  But before he left, he answered any of our questions, took our order, and topped off our glasses of Sangria.  Our food arrived little by little from the kitchen.  The prosciutto and tomato bread were nice and refreshing.  All else were ummmm....I don't even remember what we had.  Paella was decent.....and ummm, yeah, not sure where our new waiter is.  We have to flag him down to order some more shit.  The food was not impressive, and the service was a joke (not including our first waiter of 10 minutes).  My lady even told me she used to love this joint.  Not so much anymore.  I on the other hand never loved this place.....and never will.

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/13/2008

    After some shopping around the area, we stopped by Cafe Ba Ba Reeba at around 9pm on a Friday night, and the place was PACKED! We were certain that we wouldn't need reservations for a 9pm dinner, but no such luck--there was barely any room to move around! However, we were able to find seats at the bar and enjoyed a meal of delicious sangrias, tapas, and good company.

    At the recommendation of my neighbors at the bar, we ordered the chicken and ham croquettas, which were kind of too oily at first but really grew on me. By my second piece, I was devouring the thing. We also had the seared sea scallops with raisins, couscous and pine nuts, which was probably my favorite dish of the night. The butcher's paella was on the salty side and the rice felt somewhat undercooked, which was a shame because the idea of a whole lotta meat + paella sounded amazing (-1 star here.. if you're going to claim paella as your signature dish, it should blow my mind!) The beef short ribs in the paella were delicious, though, and the next time I go I will definitely order the rioja short ribs! We tried the beef tenderloin with blue cheese as well, which was nothing special. What really made my meal was the sangria for sure. We tired the red, white, black raspberry, and peach by the glass to figure out which one we liked best, and eventually ordered a full pitcher of the black raspberry.

    The fact that I was walking out the door completely stuffed and tipsy was definitely an indication of a great time!

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/28/2009

    Vibrant and delicious - I see why everyone is such a fan.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/20/2008

    Cafe Ba Ba Reeba is my favorite tapas restaurant in Chicago.  There's always such energy here and the food is consistently good.  If you go on the weekend, make sure you have a reservation.  Otherwise, you will likely have a wait upwards of an hour.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/17/2008

    Usually busy, but that's a good thing! This food was awesome and the wine was great too! Would totally go again - I have nothing bad to say...except that I hate waiting at restaurants so if you do too, get reservations.

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/22/2011

    The food here is excellent, I enjoyed myself very much. However I am forced to give such a low overall score because of their "gluten free" menu. A  dear friend of mine has celiac's disease, and therefore ingesting gluten makes her extremely ill. Three of us went to dinner here and chose to all order off the gluten free menu so that we could share everything we ordered. As a person who understands the nature of food allergies and food related diseases fairly well, I know that there is a lot of risk in ordering from a restaurant, even if they do claim to have a gluten free menu, however, I wish that restaurants would take more care with food that is being served to people specifically ordering off of any special menu, because my poor friend was sick before we even got home. Excellent, upbeat atmosphere, good service, and great tasting food. Unfortunately this one experience for me has tainted my vision of this place, and I warn others who might order of their gluten free menu to be extra cautious...

  • 2.0 star rating
    10/4/2008

    The problem with the tapas here are that they don't display any care or thought. Most appear to be scooped from a big vat and placed on a dish. The wine selection isn't that great and the staff constantly remind you to order more. It's loud, crowded, and over priced.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/21/2011

    The service at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was great and the atmosphere was nice. My husband and I split 4 tapas (a good amount of food!). The ribs, which come with the world's best mashed potatoes, was our favorite. The beef skewer was a little disappointing because it was small: only five small chunks of beef (although high quality). The other tasty tapa was the shrimp - I recommend you dip your bread in the garlic butter sauce. It is slightly spicy but oh, so good! We will definitely try this place again.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/20/2009

    it was so good that i just left there about 20 minutes ago and already i am reviewing.

    the grilled salmon with artichoke and parsley sauce was A+++

    the pintxos platter with a sampling of each available was a great start.

    i preferred the sangria at cafe iberico but otherwise babareeba wins in my book.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/16/2008

    Ah, valet the truck...........and take the walk up the ramp into heaven!  I love Cafe Ba Ba Reeba!  Came here again last night........had 8pm reservations and the bar area was packed!  Finally they called my name on the speaker..........and off to our table we went.  First thing to start off the festivities was some Passion Fruit Sangria.  A nice big pitcher!   Very good.  Mopped up some oil with bread and ordered several tap pas.  Spicy Meatballs, Spicy Potatoes....salad......shrimp, steak......they just kept bringing them out!
    Our server was awesome........he was on the ball always coming to the table!  Over all, another great experience.  I have never had a bad time here.  It was just the 2 of us but next time I think we'll bring a group and really turn it up a notch!  If you have dinner......and drink your wine.... and you leave not feeling buzzed...........it's your own fault!  
    Good times.............good times!!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/2/2008

    great place for a weekday dinner with girlfriends.  we shared a few pitchers of sangria, several small plates, and some desserts.  

    our server gave good suggestions and we were able to select several dishes that were gluten free for my roommate.  so many choices on the menu, but they are explained pretty well and catagorized to make it easier to order.

    good service, good flavors, nice that they take reservations too!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/7/2008

    SANGRIA, oh yeah need i say more. I am a man who loves red sangria. I was first introduced to it in NYC at Empanada mama, ohh yeah the large pitcher is the way to start your evening, esp if yours started at 3pm. A bad sangria has made certain that I will never return to cheesecake factory so Sangria will make or break it for me. Now the sangria here was very good, not as good as Empanada Mama but close. The food was pretty good as well. I lucked out that I got to eat on the patio in October on a warm evening. All in all I will be back for more sangria. OH YEAH

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/29/2008

    I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!  It's my fave tapas place :)  The atmosphere is great,  the food is awesome and its great to go there with a group of friends.  I'm in San Diego, and I miss it :(  Ill have to try the one in Vegas and see how it compares!  You guys are lucky if you are in the area!!!  Try it out, you'll love it :)

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/22/2008

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is one of my favorite places to go for tapas in the city. I have never ordered a dish that I didn't like (don't forget about dessert!). Be prepared to wait for a table on the weekend, but we usually find a place to sit in the bar and enjoy the sangria in the meantime, so it has never been much of a problem. And I appreciate that they don't rush you through your meal, encouraging you to keep ordering -- makes it worth the wait.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/17/2010

    simply delicius  love it:)

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/2/2009
    1 check-in

    This place has great tapas and the sangria is delicious as well.  The food isn't pricey either. My friends and I love this place. Its a great place to just have a good time. Definitely a great place for groups. I love this place because we order many tapas and share them.  The mini desserts are good also.

  • 2.0 star rating
    8/8/2009

    Okay, I will let you know up front the food was very good for casual tapas, but was it worth the horrendous service?  I think not... I can honestly say that this was the worse service I have had in years.  In short, go to Iberico(the food is comparable and a bit more authentic) at least the service is better(that is saying a lot if I am routing for Iberico's service).  Also, I can honestly vouch that Iberico actually puts wine/and or liquor in the Sangria--CBBR's Sangria was just juice.  Plus, your salt and pepper shakers at Iberico will not be covered with grease--totally disgusting.

    Let me give you some positives, just in case you want to order "take out"--highly recommended that you do.  To name a few highlights, the Gambas al Ajillo, Braised Shortrib, Escargot, Patatas Bravas, Sausages, and Croquetas were all delicious...the food was good tapas fare.  No issues here with the food and the pricing is very reasonable.

    Went to CBBR for my cousin's Birthday...we had reservations for 8pm, of course they didn't seat us for 20+ minutes after because they were "setting the table"--okay, I get this...but when we finally arrived to our table, only half of the place settings had been set.  So, the waiter sort of "chuckled" and asked us to either wait in a corridor or go all the way back to the front of the restaurant.  If it is going to take you 20+ minutes to set a table, the table should be set and the host should at least be somewhat apologetic about the situation.

    So, we finally sit down, peruse the menu and are ready to order our drinks...of course, no waitress shows up for another 15 minutes, and when she finally showed up, she grabbed our drink order and darted.  Finally, the waitress returns and takes our order--everyone is ordering for the table.  So, I place my order for 3 tapas and when our food finally arrives, she missed two out of the items I had ordered.  How does that happen?  We address the issue and tell her to forget about one of the items and to bring the other... the other item never shows up....and then we wait, wait, and wait for her to show up, again, to inquire about the whereabouts of this item and to order more food.  The waitress finally shows up and plays dumb and says, "I thought you cancelled this item..." At this point, we are over wanting more food, so we skip ordering more.  The waitress disappears, again(now I know why they call them "wait"-tresses.  Then we wait, wait, and wait for her to ask if she received the memo that we have a birthday to celebrate and if we would like to see the dessert menu, so we can order a birthday dessert...did not happen.  The waitress shows up with the smallest sliver of chocolate cake with a candle on it...procedes to light the candle with 5 or 6 attempts and just gives up and hands the lighter to the birthday girl.  Okay, we can't change the fact that we were never given the option to get a better dessert for the birthday girl--issue excepted, however, at least  ask the rest of the table whether they want to see the dessert menu? 20 minutes go buy as my cousin is eating her pathetic chocolate birthday sliver(SO EMBARRASSING) and no offer to see a dessert menu.  Our waitress finally shows ups after my cousin has finished her dessert and the waitress asks finally if we want to see the dessert menu--it was the consensus at the table if she had  asked us at the appropriate time(after our meal), we ALL would have ordered dessert--but, no...

    The entire experience was unconscionable and the sad thing is, this restaurant has so much potential because the food is not bad for what it is(I mean we are not talking about fine dining here) but service is service whether you are at L2O, Alinea, or  even dive restaurants--obviously CBBR isn't a dive, but I think I have had better service at Weiner Circle or Ed Debevics, if you get my drift.

    The reason this dinner was such a failure on so many levels is they had the potential to make more money by actually providing "service"--we wanted to order more food, drinks, and desserts, we just weren't given the opportunity--the owner is definitely getting a letter from me about this...in this economy, I think he/she can hire far superior employees who actually want to encourage repeat business.   I usually tip 20% even when the service is bad, and I ALWAYS give extra gratuity when the party is larger then six... this has been the first time 18% was a sufficient tip. Terrible.

  • 2.0 star rating
    12/18/2008

    While the food is par, the service is deplorable.  I walked in at 6:45 and asked what the wait would be.  The host told me 30 minutes which was fine since I was meeting a friend at 7.  At around 7:30 we were still at the bar waiting so asked the host who said we would probably be seated shortly since our seating time was 7:31.  At 7:45 I asked again and he told me that our seating time was 8:01 and that it hadn't changed from the first time.  Luckily we had a seat at the bar so we just ordered our food there.  I don't mind waiting, but I do mind being told that I misheard the wait time.  As for the food, both times I've been here the paella is terrible but the bacon wrapped dates and baked goat cheese are fantastic.  Not the best tapas in my book.  I've definitely had better in the city.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/11/2008

    It is pretty good. The sangria is excellent, and the tapas are pretty great. It's a really upbeat environment too. I like it a lot. The baked goat cheese is my favorite, it is so good. Personally I like Cafe Iberico best, but this is a really close second.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/30/2009
    Listed in Rock Out Playlist

    I have been several times over the past year, and each time seems very different. Each server seems to recommend different tapas as the house specialty. One thing is for sure, the "famous' paella, was less than stellar and not worth the wait. Instead, the calamari and garlic shrimp are worth a try. My favorite is the goat cheese warm in tomato base with toasted bread tips for dipping. The atmosphere is absolutely the redeeming quality for BaBa. It always has a great vibe; meeting friends there gives the impression you just joined in on a party. I keep going back because its usually the best late night dinner spot in the area, and the atmosphere is perfect for a Chicago summer night.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/13/2008

    I was inspired to write this review after seeing its current rating...3.5 stars?!  What are you people thinking?!  This is my absolute FAVORITE tapas restaurant.  I recently moved to SF (by the way, don't believe anything you hear about the "amazing" cuisine....with the exception of Chinese food and seafood, Chicago wins, hands down), and babareeba is on my list of "Things I Crave in Chicago".

    You can't go wrong with any of the sangria flavors, but my personal favorites are black rasberry and passion fruit.  

    As for the entrees, again, you can't go wrong.  The paella is good if you're hungry or in a group, but I normally fill up on the tapas and the toro brochetas....aka heavenly skewers of perfectly grilled meat on a gigantic metal stick.  That being said, the last time I was home for a visit, my little party of 4 filled up on 6 pitchers of sangria....YUM-O-LA.

    The decor is very rustic and spanish cafe inspired....a person feels like they're in a street in Sevilla when they're in this restaurant.  I'm a little surprised to read that someone thought the bathrooms were dirty...I am a germaphobe to the extreme (I carry 4 things with me at all times: wallet, chapstick, keys, and purell), and I think the bathrooms are fine.  I think the person is confusing the decor with bacteria.  

    Anyway, my mouth is now watering (from the thought of the food, not the bathrooms), so do yourselves a favor and check this place out!

  • 5.0 star rating
    10/18/2007

    This is my favorite place in the city.  Bottom line.

    Anytime I have guests in town. They have to come to Ba-Ba-Reeba and are never disappointed. The food is terrific- there's a soft spot in my heart for the Curry Chicken Salad. The spicy potatoes are awesome. Too many amazing dishes to list. The desserts are tiny (two could suffice for one person... I've been known to scarf three...) and amazing. Good Sangria (bit expensive, nothing special). The atmosphere is great (don't come if you're looking for quiet). Plan ahead- especially with large parties. Having reservations mid-week for a weekend meal wouldn't be a bad thing.

    As is typical with Tapas, a party of 5+ is ideal, so you can try a little of everything. Ba-Ba Reeba has an edge over any other Tapas place in town- which mostly should be tried- But this should be your first and last stop on the tapas tour of Chicago.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/1/2009

    I came here recently with a group of 12 on a Saturday night at prime time, and they made our night fantastic. Most of the group showed up 45 minutes late, but they didn't give the table away and got us right in once everyone arrived. The service and food were great, and the tab extremely reasonable. We will be back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/1/2007

    A group of friends and I MAY have gotten a little rowdy from too much sangria and ordered too many of those delicious little plates. But it was well worth it. As far as I can remember, the food was good, especially a dish involving blue cheese, and the sangria was excellent.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/1/2008

    My favorite tapas place! I'm so glad my coworker recommended this place. Portions are generous and the prices are reasonable. I can tell the staff are experienced enough to deal with large crowds - our tapas came out steadily despite the high volume of orders. Definitely try the roasted dates with bacon and apple vinaigrette - it sounds weird, but trust me - it's GOOD. The paella is delicious as well. Try the lobster paella with lobster, bay scallops and yellow squash. It was very savory and enough to fill three people. And don't forget to order a pitcher of sangria! The pitchers are small, but they are enough for two. The white and passion fruit are must-tries.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/14/2007

    Ok chads and trixies listen up! Sangria is served with ice, Ice is made or ? what ? you can do it , Thats right water genius. So if you order a pitcher and sit at a table for an hour or slowly sipping your sangria whilst you discuss what soriority/frat you are gonna rush or omg how hot the guys in Fall out Boy are, the ice will melt.  And Cafe BaBaReeba isnt a chain, its a busy restaurant in Lincoln Park Not Spain. Make reservations so I can actually get a seat in the bar without having your drunk girlfriends spilling all over me. Thank you I am done now

  • 4.0 star rating
    9/20/2007

    Walked right in on a Sunday evening and got immediate seating.   Overall pretty good service.  I love trying out tapas restaurants anyway and this place didn't disappoint.  I had chicken empanadas and the little sausages (sorry, can't remember the "formal" name), along with the small chocolate dessert.  Although they are small plates, you still get plenty full.  Check it out and see!

  • 5.0 star rating
    6/6/2008

    This is my favorite place for tapas, even despite the fact they switched their menus from Spanish to English (rather lame if you ask me).  The food is great and the sangria is the best I've had outside of Spain.  I've been going here since 1993 yo.  You think I'd still be going if it sucked?

  • 3.0 star rating
    9/9/2007

    I'll say this much, the food was great.  That, however, is where any love affair I might have had with Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba ends.  I loved the stuffed mushrooms, beef empanada, little steak dishes, and the sangria.  But the atmosphere was awful (unless you like loud crowded places - I don't).  It was so loud and crowded I felt rushed and couldn't relax.  I couldn't hear anybody at my table talking and I felt like I had to battle my way to the washroom.  This just isn't a place for me I guess.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/1/2008

    This place is a staple of North side Spanish food. Every time I go here I always have something new and wonderful. The potatoes and all the seafood are especially good. My mouth is watering and my stomach is rumbling just thinking about Ba-Ba-Reeba. You have to check out he sangria. I love all the flavors but the peach is especially good. This place is perfect for a great dinner and lots of sangria before you try your salsa dancing out on the town.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/18/2006
    1 check-in

    Serviceable, but I don't see why I keep going back.  One can definitely tell that this is where DePaul guys bring their dates if they're trying to be "romantic".  Nothing romantic about the place, crowded, loud, dishes seem pedestrian and thrown together.  It's a good place to eat, but recommending it would be a shortcut to thinking.

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/25/2008

    This place has pretty solid food in a good atmosphere.  I gave it three stars because I'm just not a huge fan of tapas and this place didn't WOW me enough to get for or five stars.  But, I would still go back there...

    Things on the menu I like
    - olives
    - garlic potato salad
    - frisee salad
    - escargot
    - goat cheese in tomato sauce
    - mushroom empanada's

    Also the Sangria is pretty good.  Make reservations though, walk in is annoyingly long.  Also, be prepared to elevate your voice because it's as loud as an airport terminal in there.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 4.0 star rating
    10/2/2007

    I was hesitant to review this place because it is so popular, but I have to honestly say that this place is great. Great sangria, great food and great atmosphere. I have ordered a lot amount of food here over my past 6 visits and have never been disappointed. You will leave full and satisfied.

    The wait can be extremely long so get there early.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/26/2008

    Great food, great sangria!  Went on a weeknight so it wasn't crowded.  Definitely want to come back.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/10/2012

    Awesome atmosphere! I loved the ambiance, low lighting, lots of people, but didn't feel cramped or over-crowded. Food was really good, but slightly more expensive than the Spanish tapas place I am used to in my native Dallas. Food came out really quickly though, and for some reason we felt rush to scarf everything down, probably our fault though! The shirtribs were awesome- extremely tender, just melted in your mouth, and the mashed potatoes were SO good with it, really buttery. Also, one of my favorites was the goat cheese spread with pistachios and orange marmalade- holy moly, I gotta try and make that one myself! Love that they have Matilda beer on tap. Blackberry (or blueberry?) sangria was light and fruity, but not too sugary- good combo with the strongly-flavored Spanish food, but...that's probably why the Spaniards created sangria in the first place. Overall, I am definitely coming back!

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/24/2008
    1 check-in
    Listed in Top Restaurants

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is the best tapa's restaurant in the City of Chicago!  I've been eating here for years and think the food is awesome.  It's an active restaurant so bring some friends and enjoy the Sangria....

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/4/2009

    Love the bacon-wrapped dates, they're my favorite. Don't forget a reservation though, or you'll be waiting a long time

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/14/2011

    3/14/2011
    yum!  the food is DELICIOUS!  for a tapas place, the servings here are a very decent size.  you get your money's worth.  i went to this restaurant based on word of mouth, and i'd love to pass it on.  try it out!  also fyi, i just found out that they deliver!!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/22/2008

    This was my first time at a tapas restaurant. Went here with a group of 4 on a Friday night.  We enjoyed 3 different pitchers of sangria, and all 3 were great!  We ordered 10 hot tapas, Beef Medallions w/ bleu cheese, and chicken and chorizo skewers were the standouts to me. I wasn't disappointed by any.  Food arrives at a good pace, allows you to really enjoy everything you eat. I would recommend this place to anyone and I will be back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/9/2008

    This is a nice little place for sure.  During the summer you can eat outside and enjoy glass after glass of sangria (their's was ok).  The food was decent as well, and the servers are knowledgable of the menu.  The only down side is they pack a ton of tables in a small amount of space, and you can nearly share your meal with the neighboring table without standing up.

  • 4.0 star rating
    5/27/2008

    loved it!
    cute, busy, but fast!
    was in and out with the quickness!

    the chicken empanadas are to die for...
    and so is the Passion fruit Sangria. yummmmm.
    the scallops are....ehh okay..... (ive had better)
    decent prices and quick service!

    would go back there on my next trip to chicago, whenever that is.........

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/17/2009

    This was my first tapas experience, and I enjoyed it. The server was friendly, and we were seated quickly. I know tapas is not about veggies but I would love to have more options... in any case, I was satisfied with the quality of the dishes I was able to try -- endive salad was awesome! -- and I left surprisingly full.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/1/2009

    Went here for a 8 p.m. date recently.  We were about 15 minutes late, but phoned ahead and still received a table within 5 minutes of being there.  I was a little disappointed about where they sat us.  I'm assuming it's the patio, because there was a plastic roof, a draft and it was EXTREMELY loud, but I was expecting that.  I'm sure it's a lot more enjoyable sitting there when it's actually warm out.  The actual restaurant and bar itself is very nice and tastefully decorated.

    Let me say that I have spent time in Spain and have had authentic tapas, paella and sangria.  The red sangria was delicious and not overpriced ($18 for a nice sized pitcher that at least got my date buzzed).  For tapas we just ordered the Spanish sausages and bacon wrapped dates, which were both tasty and decently priced.  The seafood paella, however, left a lot to be desired.  The portions were way to small for the price and it did not taste authentic at all.  It was very bland and a bit soggy.

    All in all, we both enjoyed ourselves.  I plan on returning, but I will stick to the tapas and sangria.  I'd like to give it 3.5 stars, but I'll round it up to 4.

  • 5.0 star rating
    1/25/2009

    This is by far the best tapas place in the city.  I love the food and their variety of Sangria.  It is definitely worth the wait, otherwise I would consider making a reservation because it is very popular and busy quite often.  I have been here for numerous birthday occasions, and every time the service is great, and I have a great time.

  • 2.0 star rating
    10/2/2007

    The food was okay, but I think Emilio's is much better. We went on a Saturday night, we had reservations for 7:30 but didn't get seated until 8:15. The sangria was weak and they charge you more for drinks at the bar than at your table.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/19/2008

    This place is always packed so definitely make reservations! In the summer, it's really nice to sit in the outdoor patio, although it is very crowded and you feel you're almost on top of the people sitting nect to you. The food is decent, but the tables are super small! The sangria is pretty good and the service is fast. Other than that,there are better tapas restaurants in the city.

  • 5.0 star rating
    12/19/2010

    one of my favorite places in chicago.  good for date night, with friends, or groups.  everything is amazing, but one of the best things they have here that cafe iberico doesn't is the bacon wrapped dates.  i came here with my husband the other night and we had to get 2 orders.

  • 5.0 star rating
    3/4/2009

    Love this place. The food is amazing! Also the black raspberry sangria tastes sooo good. I would go there for that! I love taking my friends and family here when they visit. Will keep going there!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/28/2011

    Great food, great service!  I've lived in Lincoln Park for about 7 years and I always take friends/family who are visiting here as they are always reliable.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/13/2010

    Great tapas, but more of an intimate atmosphere than you'll find in a Tapa bar in Spain.  For the best tapas though, you need to go to Spain.

  • 3.0 star rating
    10/10/2007

    If your in the mood for a fun, loud place I would recommend Ba-Ba-Reeba.  This place is always crowded.   The sangria is good but didn't blow me away.  Good selection of food.  Will be a pricey bill if you are hungry -- like most Tapas places.  I am big on atmosphere and prefer a bit more privacy when dining (just my preference).

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/29/2010

    Very decent tapas (we ordered 8-10 and I can't remember for the life of me what we actually ordered), however it wasn't anything compared to what we had in Barcelona. Although we did not order paea, the smell from a neighboring table was overbearing with unfresh seafood and it sort of grossed us out. Our tapas filled us up, though, and were quite delicious. We sat outside on a perfect summer night, perfect!

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/26/2012

    awesome food. no complaints.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/6/2007

    If you have a decent-sized group, I hightly recommend you go here for the best tapas in the city.  Yes, better than Cafe Iberico.  Me and a group of 20 ran up a $900 bill, and it was worth every penny, especially since someone else was footing the bill.  The sangrias are tasty.  I recommend the original red, the passion fruit, or the cava.  The chicken paella is tasty (and you can add shrimp for a small charge) but keep in mind that it takes a while to prepare.  You will be stuffing your face with other tapas while you wait for the paella to come out.  Now on to the tapas!  I highly recommend the garlic shrimp, the beef tenderloin & bleu cheese, ANY of the empanadas, the dates wrapped with bacon, the mushrooms stuffed with spinach & manchego cheese, and the spicy potatoes.  You can't go wrong with the dessert menu, but I recommend the apple crisp with ice cream and the mango sorbet.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/15/2007

    Good stuff. Good stuff. Food came out really quickly and was really really good. The watiress kind of had an attitude,  but whatever. My one pet peeve is that I felt that it was too hot (I was roasting the entire time!) and it was really really loud. But overall good. The sangria was really good, and the cheese plate was good. Not overrated as some people have said. I'd go again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/17/2008

    my favorite tapas place in chicago, and there's alot of tapas places in chicago.
    all of the traditional tapas are well done (patatas bravas, tortilla, paella, etc.) and the americanized ones are pretty tasty as well.  the sangria is a bit on the sweet side but most people seem to like it.  
    the service is ok and the prices are a little bit higher than other tapas places, but i think its worth it since the food is better.

  • 2.0 star rating
    10/28/2009

    cafe ba-ba-reeba is good, but nothing amazing. i've had better tapas in the city. the prices are decent, which make it bearable. the staff are all super friendly. it's always packed with the lincoln park crowd.

    i love my manchego cheese. they use too much olive oil. all the dishes tend to be on the oily side.

    there's nothing spectacular about cafe ba ba reeba. it's just there. if i go it's fine, but i'm not thrilled.

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/5/2007

    UPDATED: okay so i went here again because its so close by and was soo disappointed with the meal. didn't taste like the first time i had it. i still like the sangria but the food - not so good... will probably not go back unless its strictly for drinks.

    this place has to-die-for sangria. i loved the different flavors to choose from. i tried i think the peach. the empanadas were very good as well, along with the curried chicken salad. i wasn't impressed with the chorizo which made me sad because i'm a huge fan of it. the best part was the end of the meal when we got our check. i was 2 other friends and the bill was around $17 each and we were all stuffed. i will be back to try all the other dishes and sangria's :) - especially in the summer to sit outdoor.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/3/2008

    funny lil diddy about ba-ba...it was one of the only places i could drink at when i was 18 and went to columbia college (for only a semester). my friend was a fellow spaniard and wanted to treat me to some tapas (circa 2000). we sat in the bar area, ordered some sangria first (drinks first when you're 18, of course) and then some tapas to wash the sangria down with. i remember it being pretty good...but i more so remember the sangria...

    ok flash back to '04...i move to the city permanently, after a 3 1/2 year run at MSU. since '04 i have hit up ba-ba quite a few times and always have a great dining experience there. i have been to many a birthday dinner (b/c usually you spend between $25-45 depending on the number of people, if it's all girls or girls and guys (more guys means more meat dishes)) and girls dinners as well.

    i love the many sangria choices (passion fruit, peach, sparkling, black raspberry, red and white); i love the...
    - grilled squid
    - stuffed mushrooms
    - goat cheese
    - bacon wrapped dates

    in the summer the garden seating is awesome...sangria and light food is prefect for warm weather anyways. always a good spot, reasonable and you know what you're getting usually with Lettuce restaurants.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/28/2010

    had 7:30 reservations. didnt get seated until 8:15... wasnt a big deal. apparently for everyone else that had reservations, it was a big deal. as soon as we were called, the hostess was very apologetic and polite. we sat down and within 1 minute of being sat, one of the managers came by with a free plate of appetizers for us he was very apologetic for our wait. great service, unbeatable food and drinks. cant wait to go back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/30/2009

    This was my first time ever trying tapas. I was a little nervous about it but was excited to try something new. The passion fruit sangria was AMAZING! If passion fruit isn't your thing, they have five or six flavors to choose from. I tried the chicken and chorizo skewer. It was nicely cooked. The sauteed onions and peppers were great with the meat. However I did not care for the mayonnaise type sauce that they put on the plate. My best friend tried the ham and pineapple tapa, which he said was pretty good. He also tried the short rib and mashed potato dish as well. He thought it was great. The meat was very tender and the mashed potatoes were surprisingly good. We then tried the chicken and pork paella. On the menu it says that you need to have a minimum of two people to order it. Just be aware that the menu price for the paella is per serving or per person. Other than the price we both thought it was quite delicious. I thought it was the best part of the meal. We then decided to try the deserts. My friend ordered the cherry bread pudding. He thought it was good and would get it again. I tried some type of caramel almond tart, which would be amazing with a good cup of coffee. The manager brought us two free desserts outside of the ones that we ordered because it was our first time there. I thought that was very nice of him to do. All in all, I would definitely return. Maybe next time I'll be a little more adventurous with my tapa selections. I will say that its a little bit pricier than I expected, but well worth it....4 stars.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/13/2007
    Listed in Tapas y Tapas

    I was going to round up to 4 stars, but once I started reviewing my last visit, I realized that there were quite a few things that disappointed.  I have liked going here because the prices are pretty reasonable, and I truly love the tapas style of dining.  But,. perhaps I'll go elsewhere next time.
    First of all, a one and a half hour wait?  I know, I know, Saturday night, but it was nearly nine pm when we got there, and they were still packed to the gills, which brings me to my second issue...They were packed to the gills with dressed up Lincoln Parkers.  Is it really necessary to wear four inch heels and white halter dresses?  This is a chain, after all.  Am I really so far out of the "scene" here in Jefferson Park that I don't think I should have to dress up for a casual dinner, and I don't think that hundreds of people go out to eat at 9:00 pm?  Or is this some weird anomaly to the pretentious Lincoln Park crowd?
    Okay, on to the food.  Stuffed Mushrooms, fantastic.  Rioja Braised Short Rib with Manchego Mashed Potatoes, UNBELIEVABLE!  Platter of Spanish Cured meats and cheese with Tomato Bread, pretty great, but I couldn't stop thinking that perhaps a restaurant that wasn't a chain would have done this even better. Also the pork kabob with spicy potatoes was overdone and rather tasteless, a huge disappointment since this was my fave on my first visit,  Overall, I think this shows that the food is largely hit or miss.
    Now the wine.  I expect that a Spanish restaurant should have all good wine on their list, but I tried a couple different kinds on my first visit that I wasn't too thrilled with, so this time I stuck to the sangria, which was kind of weak-flavored.  At least it was refreshing and not overly sweet, and it did manage to give me a little kick.

  • 4.0 star rating
    4/19/2007

    Yes it is a chain...but you need to get past that and accept that the food is yummy, the sangria is cheap and strong, and the wait staff is friendly, informative, and not at all pushy despite the fact that they are usually crazy busy.  My favorite dishes are the tomato bread, spicy potatoes, and baked goat cheese.  I think the food here is more consistent quality than Cafe Iberico, and I would much rather have a reservation than stand around waiting for an hour on a Saturday night.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/13/2010
    Listed in Good for Groups

    good standby for fun atmosphere, good for groups.  they take reservations unlike cafe iberico, the other great tapas place in the city.  awesome sangria in fun flavors - mango, blackberry, etc.  (but i must admit i like red the best) and worth trying the mini-dessert menu (genius!).  bacon wrapped dates, croquettes, stuffed mushrooms, goat cheese on bruschetta a must.

  • 4.0 star rating
    8/5/2007

    I visited with a friend for a fun Friday night dinner, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it!  We were seated on the patio, which was fun....and the place was packed.  We tasted a variety of dishes, and most of them were quite good.  The goat cheese and the pecan crusted chicken were my personal faves :)  The Sangria is good, and comes in many varieties.  Be sure to order by the pitcher, because it goes quickly!!   The service was fantastic, and the manager (Lindsay) is a doll!  Everything is so affordable, and it is fun to be able to try so many different dishes!  I will definitely be going back!  Great place to go with friends or a date.

  • 1.0 star rating
    3/23/2007

    when i first moved here, folks told me i 'had' to eat here.   well, i ate there twice and each time afterward, it felt like my lower GI was going to explode.  i don't know if it's the combination of grease, sangria and the little ham weiner thingies, but this place makes me turn green.  somehow, i don't really think spanish tapas are supposed to taste like this.

    and i'm not exactly thrilled with the atmosphere, either.  if you really like to eat around a bunch of screechy bachelorette parties, then this is the perfect place for you.  if you like food that tastes good, then i'd probably skip it.

  • 1.0 star rating
    6/6/2007

    With all the good Spanish places in the city, I don't understand how this one is still in business. Seriously, I'm probably too used to good restaurants, but this one is disgusting. And I don't think it's a matter of taste, we all have different taste, it's a matter of quality! More or less all Spanish restaurants offer the same things and i have been to quite a few to be able to compare and tell the difference. I went there for the second time, first time I didn't like it, but I was willing to give it another chance. Done, they won't see me and my friends anymore.

  • 3.0 star rating
    3/18/2008

    Overrated and too expensive.  I'd recommend Iberico or People Cafe.  Food is generally good, but drinks are too expensive and not strong enough, and you always have a ridiculously long wait.   The outdoor seating is nice, though.

  • 2.0 star rating
    7/19/2008

    Decent food and sangria, BAD service. Although the food was pretty greasy and the "spicy potatoes with tomato alioli" was just a fancy description for french fries.

    We had a reservation for 9 PM on a Friday night. It was crowded but clearly there is not going to be a wait for tables once we're done, so why rush us?

    Our waiter stopped by our table at least 15 times throughout our meal, probably every 5 minutes. I don't think that's good service, I think that's excessive and annoying. He would just stand there when we were in the middle of conversation until we had no choice but to acknowledge his presence. I understand that alot of restaurants in Chicago try to rush their customers on busy weekend nights, but it was already past 9 PM by the time we sat down. Even if we rushed through our meal in an hour, how many tables could you possibly need at 10 or 11? Plus, the whole point of eating out for me is to hang out with friends, not scarf down my food. And if the obnoxious waiter is one of our main topics of conversation, that is NOT a good thing. He kept refilling our sangria glasses from the pitcher, which again, some might think is good service, but after the 10th time, is just annoying because we want to control our own drinking and share equally. He was probably just trying to get us to drink more or finish and leave.

    I was also not impressed by the "outdoor" seating, which was an overly crowded extension to the restaurant surrounded by 3 walls and a ceiling. An obvious way to just seat as many people as possible. It was HOT out there because there was no breeze, I would have rather sat inside even though it was HOT by the kitchen too.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/31/2008

    I have eaten here a couple of times and it was ok. I love to come to this place in the summer though and sit on the patio. Nothing is better than their sangria on a hot Saturday afternoon.

  • 3.0 star rating
    12/26/2007

    Solid tapas but missing that little something that would push it into 4 star range. I like the ensalada de espinacas and the patatas bravas the best. The last time I had the sangria, I ended up worshiping the porcelain goddess after getting home. I don't know if it was just me or the sangria itself but it's definitely made me leery about going back.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/6/2008

    This place was absolutely amazing!!!  I was visiting Chicago recently and my friend said that we had to try this place out.  We tried to make reservations on a Friday night and couldn't get anything earlier than 10 pm!  Nonetheless we went there a little before 8 pm and decided to wait it out.  We were finally seated nearly an hour later.  They do have a large bar area to eat at and the waiters were very good and serving cocktails to you while you were waiting.  I must say that their red wine sangria was so delicious!!!  I had the chicken skewer with coriander yogurt sauce, spicy potatoes with tomato alioli and goat cheese baked in tomato sauce and loved all of them!  Seriously this place was totally worth the wait and the next time I'm back in the windy city I'll totally be hitting this place up again!!!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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  • 5.0 star rating
    12/11/2010

    This is one of my top ten places to go in Chicago. I have not had a tapas plate there yet that I have not enjoyed. My favorites on the menu are the baked goat cheese, scallops, and patatas bravas. They make a pretty tasty beef empanada too. I ALWAYS order their sangria, but have to admit that the red is better than the white, and if I'm in the mood for a sweeter one, I'll go with the passion fruit sangria. The bulls eye desserts during the summer are amazing... Yes, it can be loud in there and sometimes my voice is a little scratchy after dinner from it, and yes, you always need to make a reservation, but doesn't that show how much people enjoy going there?! It's always busy, but rightfully so with such tasty food.  One of these days I'll get there to watch the flamenco dancers...

  • 2.0 star rating
    9/20/2010

    Locals told me this place was incredible so during a weekend visit to Chicago, I took their word but was sorely disappointed. I loved the atmosphere, but the food fell way short of what my husband and I were expecting, given the rave reviews we'd heard about this place. We chose several items that were listed as the chef's specialties (including the shrimp in garlic and olive oil, spicy potatoes and endive salad), and all of them disappointed us. Food was a little greasy and left something to be desired. We won't be returning.

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/8/2008

    We went to cafe ba-ba-reeba on a Thursday evening in December. Although we didn't have a reservation we were seated with only a 30min wait. Which wasn't too painful after sitting at the bar for a bit.  The wait staff was pleasant enough, however they were not overly attentive to our drink orders. The food was amazing! I can honestly say this place will suit anyone! They have everything you could want in a fun and funky environment. A very young crowd (typical for this area) and a little loud at times.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/1/2008

    Fun place - good sangria and good food with fun atmosphere AND outdoor seating!  We had great service and plenty of options to choose from.  The prices were reasonable as well.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/14/2007

    Although people may think that this place is over-rated, I truly think it is a go-to staple.  With a large group of people, or just a catch up with one or two friends, this restaurant can be a great time.  I am a fan of their sangria and there are definitely some great tapas choices.  My recommendations are the shrimp with red pepper flakes, always get the goat cheese, the tenderloin with the blue cheese, and the croquettes are always my favorites!

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/3/2008

    This is easily my favorite restaurant in Chicago!!  I've been to Iberico and others, and although this may not be the most 100% authentic of them all, it has the atmosphere and food to blow the others out of the water!  Expect to wait at least an hour, but always knock about 30 mins off of the time they tell you..there has never been a time that they say it will be a 2 hour wait and it ends up only being 90 mins!  It's well worth the wait, the bar is awesome with to-die-for sangria!

    Try the Aioli or the Garlic Potatoes, the best!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/9/2008

    I've been here several times and every experience happens to get better.  It could be the company or the increased knowledge of menu.  So, my only advise is to try several things, from different parts of the menu, and make sure to order the sangria.  It might not be the best but it definitely adds to the experience.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/8/2007

    Good tapas.  Some days there are events.  I went for Framenco show and that was very enjoyable.  All the dishes are very tasty and we love it.  Portions are not that big.  
    The atomosphere of the place is really fun.
    Outdoor seating is nice in the summer / fall.
    Rather crowded, but worth the wait.
    Call ahead of time for reservation.

  • 3.0 star rating
    1/30/2007

    Ive been to a bunch of different tapas resteraunts around the city, and this one honestly didnt stand out to me. The food was good but not spectacular. Its worth it to try out, and I could see myself eating here again, but not going out of my way to do so.

  • 2.0 star rating
    6/9/2007

    Bottom line, this restaurant is okay.  Based on what I heard prior to trying the restaurant, I thought I was going to have the best tapas ever.  They were average, and lots of the servings tasted the same even though they were meant to be different.  Luckily the wine was quality and I had good company.  My suggestion is if you are going out to people watch and eat average food, go here.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/24/2007

    Purty good, met some work friends here once.  Tapas in general to me means you get more plate than food, but I guess if you've got deep pockets and/or a small appetite then tapas is a nice way to sample lots of stuff.  I threw back a bunch of booze and had a decent enough time, but I dunno....I've been to other tapas type places that I was more impressed with.  Damn it's crowded and loud in there too.  Not bad by any stretch, if you're in the area it's as good a stop as any.

  • 5.0 star rating
    4/2/2007
    1 check-in

    soooo good!

    my girlfriends and I usually come here for bday dinners.  
    On our list of MUST - ORDERS:

    the patatas bravas (spicy potatoes)
    gambas al ajillo (shrimp w/ garlic and red pepper flakes)
    pincho de solomillo (beef skewer)
    solomillo con queso de cabrales (tenderloin of beef w/ blue cheese)
    banana dessert (teeny tiny banana drizzeled w/ caramel and crushed pistachios) .... SOOOOOOO HEAVENLY!

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/19/2008

    I hate tapas, but I don't hate Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.

  • 5.0 star rating
    7/5/2007

    I have tried all of the tapas restaurants in town, and I keep coming back to Ba-ba-reeba!  My husband is a vegetarian, and this place has the biggest selection for him, plus, I think the food is less greasy here.  I am addicted to the spanish tortilla, the soups are always great, and the paella is fabulous.  I love the tapas-sized desserts, too.  Nice touch!  Service has always been terrific.  People can bash Lettuce Entertain You restaurants, but the places always deliver the goods, as far as I'm concerned.

  • 4.0 star rating
    3/1/2010
    Listed in Restaurants

    This place really is the best.  I have dined there many times and have never been disappointed.  I recently threw a bridal shower in one of their back rooms and never had better service.  The people are extremely friendly, the food is fantastic and they are very accommodating to any needs  you may have.  I highly recommend this place and can't wait to go back again!

  • 2.0 star rating
    10/24/2007

    Sub bar tapas.  Have rearranged the portion size since I was first there around 5 years ago.  Atmosphere is ok, and the paella is good.  I would recommend the seafood one.  The way to enjoy this place is to go with a large party and get a private room.  Going with a large party is a nice experience  because it gives everyone the opportunity to try different things and split the large paella dishes.

  • 5.0 star rating
    2/28/2010

    mmmm.. tasty, affordable, great vibe!  my fave!

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/15/2007

    Good enough tapas but it is a factory. They get you in and get you out. It's cranks out the food, the drinks and keeps it all at a decent grade. The service is fine but it doesn't have much of a soul.

  • 5.0 star rating
    5/3/2010

    They have sangria on tap!  Everything my friends and I had was good.  And the menu was pretty unique and definitely had a Northern Spain touch to it.

  • 4.0 star rating
    7/19/2010

    cafe ba-ba-reeba is a fun place for a night out with friends~

    the wait is always long! try to call ahead and make a reservation. if not, you'll be waiting...for a long time.

    the food it not bad. it's good, but i don't find myself neither raving over nor craving it. it's good, don't get me wrong, but the food is either too salty (rioja beef short ribs-ok) or sweet (bacon wrapped dates--good).

    things to try:
    sangria
    endive, blue cheese, walnuts, and mebrillo
    spicy potatoes with tomato alioli
    roast dates with bacon
    beef skewer, horseradish cream, and red onions

    pass:
    goat cheese baked in tomato sauce
    rioja short ribs
    empanadas (they're good but nothing spectacular)

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/16/2008

    Really good food and service.  We went with a large group and were a pain in the butt.  We asked for checks to be divided by the small tables they pushed together for us and they did it but there was a little confusion, totally understandable.  We did have to wait even though we had reservations but I would go back again.

  • 4.0 star rating
    10/5/2009

    Perhaps the definitive tapas of Chicago.  Lettuce Entertain You has pulled a solid, bustling, enjoyable theme restaurant together yet again.  Go in a group - the social atmosphere really brings out the meal experience.  Sharing is, after all, what tapas is all about.  I haven't tried their paella, but I remember enjoying pretty much everything I tried of their tapas - all solid, 3.5 star fare.  The lively experience and setting is what tipped it up to 4 stars (and the quantum star requirement).  This isn't gourmet food - the bacon wrapped dates are not even close to Avec's, for example, but in a bustling group, it's almost better to have more "normalized" fare so you don't "weird out" some peoples' palates.  Plus they have some of my favorite kinds of dishes; a mushroom soup, gazpacho, grilled sirloin with shiitakes, spice crusted ahi tuna.... You get the gist.  It's fun, it's flavorful, and it's a nice break from having one massive entrée.

  • 3.0 star rating
    5/6/2007

    I have not been here in years. they changed the menu a bit. I wish they would open another.They are too crowded now Bummer!!

  • 4.0 star rating
    12/10/2009

    good tapas and sangria.  strange ambiance though.   (I felt like I was in a 1920's bar that should have a player piano. ...)

  • 3.0 star rating
    2/12/2007

    This is a great place for a big group to come - I've been here for birthdays and graduations, and had a great time.  However, the tapas isn't as good as other places in the city, so I'd recommend it mostly on the atmosphere and the sangria variety.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/15/2010

    I arrived early for my reservation thinking they'll probably have seats available anyways, boy was I wrong.
    The place was packed, we were seated exactly at our reservation time.

    The ambiance wasn't fancy or anything but it was definitely comfortable and family style, fitted the food, so that was good.
    There was live music/dance performance when we were seated, it was a fun experience but thankfully they didn't perform throughout our entire meal, so we had some peace while we ate.

    The food was AMAZING.
    I haven't been satisfied with my restaurant experience in a while.
    We ordered spinach & manchego stuffed mushrooms, chicken empanada, crab & shrimp dip, chicken & ham croquetas, and the seafood paella.
    I could tell all the ingredients were fresh, but the food wasn't bland, everything tasted so good!
    The mushrooms were so fresh and cooked perfectly, not overcooked so that the mushroom was falling apart.  The manchego sauce was so good.
    The crab & shrimp dip was very good too but slightly over-salted.
    The croquetas were okay...they tasted oddly of beans though, I thought croquetas were made of potatoes.
    The chicken empanada was okay, just wish our waiter told us it was literally one empanada and hard to split among 3.
    The paella was really good, it wasn't yellow like other paellas, I wonder if it's a different type.
    Regardless, it was good, just wish the waiter would let us have the pan instead of splittling (unevenly) the paella into plates.

    We also had the black raspberry sangria, which was amazing.

    Everything was perfect except our waiter was either out of it or just didn't care.
    Definitely going back soon!

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/19/2007

    This place has a great atmosphere and pretty courteous service.  It does get very busy so reservations for groups of five or more should be made.      I've tried cafe iberico and upon reading what others have written I agree that this may not be the place for very authentic spanish food, but it does the trick.   Try their chicken curry salad and rib eye with mashed potatoes.  Delish!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/15/2007

    Tapas are fine, but go for the $2.95 desserts.  I highly, highly recommend the almond tart with caramel.  It's small and absolutely fabulous.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/8/2010

    had a gift certificate from a previously bad experience here and this time they won us over! thanks for your yummy food and delicious sangria! once again we will be coming back!

  • 4.0 star rating
    11/29/2006

    Mmmm...it's been far too long since I've been here. This is one of my favorite fun places to eat dinner in the city. I've come here for dates, for family dinners, for dinner with friends, and even a rehearsal dinner.

    One thing is for sure - their passion fruit sangria is incredible. I also always get the goat cheese in tomato sauce, that you put on top of the bread.

    Overall, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has great atmosphere and I rarely have a negative experience (one time I had a bad server...and I don't like the small servings of dessert...so no 5 stars!!!!)

  • 5.0 star rating
    8/11/2010

    Love this place!  Took my family here when they visited, and our waiter was super friendly and attentive.  After mentioning that we were first-time guests, the waiter brought us a few complimentary dessert tapas to try.  I've been back one time since the initial visit, and it was again very delicious.  There are great-tasting tapas for both the adventurous and non-adventurous.  I recommend this restaurant to any size group for an affordable and classy meal.

  • 4.0 star rating
    1/30/2007

    Really fun for groups! So far, this has the best tapas atmosphere for a group of the places that I have seen for the price...and the sangria is really good too.  They have a variety of sangria options(7 in all), I really like the passion fruit flavor...Emilio's has better food though. The food is decent, but there are better tapas places for food if there are only a couple of you.  If you do eat here, save room for dessert i love the Spanish "Bull's Eyes"...it is sorbet topped with complimentary liquor...sounds odd but taste really good.

  • 1.0 star rating
    3/29/2011

    So it has taken me some time to actually write a review for this joint. After careful consideration all I can bring myself to say is avoid this place at all costs. My girlfriend and I were given a Lettuce Entertain You gift card for christmas and this seemed from yelp as a good place to grab dinner. It is a waste of time and our christmas present, the waitstaff is non existent, you have to ask several different people to get another drink, however my water glass was never empty which is where the one star comes from. They serve medicore bordering on bad food, scallops were like chewing rubber and the beef kabob tasted like gristle on a stick. The drinks we got were weak and we only got one because our waiter was nowhere to be seen. 90 dollars for five plates of bad tapas and two drinks is outrageous. The only reason I didn't complain to the manager was because I had a gift card and wasn't spending my own money. If you want outstanding tapas at an affordable price go to Mana Food Bar on division.

  • 5.0 star rating
    9/17/2007

    I would hate to have had to clean up after our 18-person gluttony-fest here. We ate and drank until I was sure I weighed at least 15 pounds more. I like everything except the serrano ham (because, ew, ham) and everyone I was with was thrilled too. We waited a while for our table even though we had called ahead, but there were a ton of us, so that's to be expected. Very fun and very delicious and highly recommended.

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/10/2007
    1 check-in

    This place is a pretty lively tapas bar.  For the most part, the food was good, but the chicken in the paella was a little suspect.  Our waiter was pretty awkward too.  All in all, it reminded me of the food I ate in Spain which is a good thing.

  • 4.0 star rating
    6/30/2007

    Fun place to eat. Sangria was just "good" not "great". Food was good. I liked the skirt steak in particular (very tender, yum). Prices were high, but reasonable for the area/type of restaurant. I thought the menu was relatively limited from other Tapas place I've been to, but that's just me. I recommend at least giving it a try. I definitely think Cafe Iberico is a better value and has tastier food.

  • 4.0 star rating
    2/9/2008

    The Ba ba Reeba was one of the first places I tried when I moved to Chicago over a  year ago. It is always a good time. The baked goat is out of this world. And I can put away almost a whole pitcher of their red wine Sangria. (not sure if that is because it is delicious or because I have a wine problem!) I always have fun here and I recommend it for big groups.

  • 3.0 star rating
    4/11/2010

    Good tapas, average sangria. Ambience is great on most days. It's a good, solid tapas place, but nothing to write home about.

  • 1.0 star rating
    3/20/2007

    Recently went there for brunch, my mistake!  The food was horrible!  I have been there for tapas with a large group of people before and the food was okay.  But I will never go back.
    Cafe Iberico is much better!

  • 3.0 star rating
    8/29/2006

    The food was decent and the atmosphere was definitely lively.  The lobster paella was horrendous though.  The other tapas (particularly the goat cheese) were really good, but I don't remember what we ordered other than that which says something.  If you are in the area I would recommend stopping in, but there are far better places in the city for tapas.  The atmosphere is really casual and fun before a night out which is probably the best thing about it.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - 703 Photos - Spanish - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp
 
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